May 1, 2015 at 5:36 p.m.
Jay loses ace, game to Jets
Boles injured in first inning, Adams Central capitalizes
Jay loses ace, game to Jets
It happened in the blink of an eye.
Larissa Boles made a catch near the plate on a pop fly off the bat of Adams Central’s Annie Isch, just the second batter of the game.
Then, before she knew what happened, the Jay County High School pitcher was lying in foul territory, writhing in pain. The Patriot ace was holding her right knee.
“You never want to see that with any team,” said JCHS softball coach Doug Arbuckle. “You don’t want to see anybody get hurt. Of course, she’s one of our top players.”
Boles had to leave the game — she would later confirm ligament damage in her knee — and Catherine Dunn was thrust into the pitching role.
Adams Central jumped on the opportunity, striking for seven runs on four hits in the second inning to defeat Jay County 9-5 Thursday. The loss snapped the Patriots’ five-game winning streak.
“Without their pitcher they still played really well,” said ACHS coach Cary Blake, noting the Patriots put up a fight despite an early deficit and the loss of their ace. “We had some nice hits (in the second inning). They didn’t make a whole lot of mistakes. It was just a battle.”
Adams Central (7-2, 3-0 Allen County Athletic Conference) got back-to-back walks to begin the second inning, and two batters later Haley Stinson hit an RBI single to left field. A sacrifice bunt put runners at second and third with two outs, and Kara Keller drove them in on a single. Isch followed with a walk, and Madi Schwartz had an RBI single and advanced to second on an error that allowed Isch to score for a 5-0 AC lead.
After Jayla Byer reached on an error — the Patriots had two in the frame — Kaitlyn Johnson smacked a two-run single to left field to cap the ugly inning during which the Jets sent 11 batters to the plate. Johnson’s single chased Dunn from the game.
“We had to bring in Catherine right away,” said Arbuckle, whose team fell to 9-6 (2-1 ACAC). “She’s not warmed up and ready to pitch, her mindset is not there.
“They jumped on us and got us in a hole.”
Dunn suffered the loss, allowing seven runs — five earned — on four hits while walking three. She struck out one.
Jay County answered with two runs in the bottom of the second inning. Dunn hit a single to left field and swiped second base without a throw before Gabby Hart hit a double to knock her in. Kady Finnerty added an RBI single to cut the deficit to 7-2.
Larissa Boles made a catch near the plate on a pop fly off the bat of Adams Central’s Annie Isch, just the second batter of the game.
Then, before she knew what happened, the Jay County High School pitcher was lying in foul territory, writhing in pain. The Patriot ace was holding her right knee.
“You never want to see that with any team,” said JCHS softball coach Doug Arbuckle. “You don’t want to see anybody get hurt. Of course, she’s one of our top players.”
Boles had to leave the game — she would later confirm ligament damage in her knee — and Catherine Dunn was thrust into the pitching role.
Adams Central jumped on the opportunity, striking for seven runs on four hits in the second inning to defeat Jay County 9-5 Thursday. The loss snapped the Patriots’ five-game winning streak.
“Without their pitcher they still played really well,” said ACHS coach Cary Blake, noting the Patriots put up a fight despite an early deficit and the loss of their ace. “We had some nice hits (in the second inning). They didn’t make a whole lot of mistakes. It was just a battle.”
Adams Central (7-2, 3-0 Allen County Athletic Conference) got back-to-back walks to begin the second inning, and two batters later Haley Stinson hit an RBI single to left field. A sacrifice bunt put runners at second and third with two outs, and Kara Keller drove them in on a single. Isch followed with a walk, and Madi Schwartz had an RBI single and advanced to second on an error that allowed Isch to score for a 5-0 AC lead.
After Jayla Byer reached on an error — the Patriots had two in the frame — Kaitlyn Johnson smacked a two-run single to left field to cap the ugly inning during which the Jets sent 11 batters to the plate. Johnson’s single chased Dunn from the game.
“We had to bring in Catherine right away,” said Arbuckle, whose team fell to 9-6 (2-1 ACAC). “She’s not warmed up and ready to pitch, her mindset is not there.
“They jumped on us and got us in a hole.”
Dunn suffered the loss, allowing seven runs — five earned — on four hits while walking three. She struck out one.
Jay County answered with two runs in the bottom of the second inning. Dunn hit a single to left field and swiped second base without a throw before Gabby Hart hit a double to knock her in. Kady Finnerty added an RBI single to cut the deficit to 7-2.
But opportunities off of Adams Central pitcher Stinson were few and far between during the early going. The sophomore struck out two batters — she finished with 11 total — in each of the first three innings, and again in the fifth and sixth. Her back-to-back Ks in the second ended the Patriots’ threat.
“She’s done a great job,” said Blake, noting that the youngster has had to step up in the absence of two injured pitchers. “She’s had an opportunity and she’s seized it. She came out here tonight and pitched a good, solid ball game for us.”
The Jets had a chance to break the game open in the fourth inning. They loaded the bases with no outs on a pair of walks and an infield error, but JCHS pitcher McKayla Norris got out of the jam unscathed. Back-to-back ground balls to the middle of the Patriots’ drawn-in infield produced force outs at the plate, and Norris induced an inning-ending grounder to Finnerty at shortstop.
“After the second inning we outplayed them a little bit,” Arbuckle said. Jay County only gave up two more runs — one in the fifth inning and another in the sixth. “I was really proud of the way they battled.”
Norris, who scattered eight hits in 5 1/3 innings of relief, sparked a three-run sixth inning for Jay County. She led off with a walk, and Dunn hit a double to put runners at second and third with no outs. Dunn finished 2-for-4 with two runs and a stolen base.
Hart went down on strikes before Randi Auker ripped a 3-1 pitch to right field for a two-run double.
“Randi coming through with a big hit there … she’s getting her confidence back,” Arbuckle said. Auker, who also drove in the game-winning run Tuesday against defending Class 3A state champion Leo, missed all of her junior season with an ankle injury, and has been a staple at second base this season.
Auker later scored the final run of the game on an infield error.
“I’m really proud of the girls for the way they battled,” Arbuckle said. “After AC scored their seven runs in the second inning, we could have hung our heads and walked out of here with a run-rule (loss).
“But they battled back and made the best effort they could.”
“She’s done a great job,” said Blake, noting that the youngster has had to step up in the absence of two injured pitchers. “She’s had an opportunity and she’s seized it. She came out here tonight and pitched a good, solid ball game for us.”
The Jets had a chance to break the game open in the fourth inning. They loaded the bases with no outs on a pair of walks and an infield error, but JCHS pitcher McKayla Norris got out of the jam unscathed. Back-to-back ground balls to the middle of the Patriots’ drawn-in infield produced force outs at the plate, and Norris induced an inning-ending grounder to Finnerty at shortstop.
“After the second inning we outplayed them a little bit,” Arbuckle said. Jay County only gave up two more runs — one in the fifth inning and another in the sixth. “I was really proud of the way they battled.”
Norris, who scattered eight hits in 5 1/3 innings of relief, sparked a three-run sixth inning for Jay County. She led off with a walk, and Dunn hit a double to put runners at second and third with no outs. Dunn finished 2-for-4 with two runs and a stolen base.
Hart went down on strikes before Randi Auker ripped a 3-1 pitch to right field for a two-run double.
“Randi coming through with a big hit there … she’s getting her confidence back,” Arbuckle said. Auker, who also drove in the game-winning run Tuesday against defending Class 3A state champion Leo, missed all of her junior season with an ankle injury, and has been a staple at second base this season.
Auker later scored the final run of the game on an infield error.
“I’m really proud of the girls for the way they battled,” Arbuckle said. “After AC scored their seven runs in the second inning, we could have hung our heads and walked out of here with a run-rule (loss).
“But they battled back and made the best effort they could.”
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