May 6, 2015 at 5:48 p.m.
Patriots snap losing streak
Dunn’s three hits, four RBIs lead JC to conference win
Patriots snap losing streak
BERNE — The Patriots desperately needed a win.
They also needed a breakout game from an offense that had been struggling lately.
Jay County High School’s softball team reached its highest run total of the season, tallying 14 hits — including three each from the top three spots in the lineup — in a 15-9 victory Tuesday over the South Adams Starfires.
It was the first meeting between the Patriots and Starfires as Allen County Athletic Conference opponents.
“As a team we came into this game a lot more prepared with a better attitude and ready to play,” said JCHS senior Catherine Dunn, who was 3-for-5 — a triple shy of the cycle — and drove in four runs. Dunn and the Patriots had lost three straight games since Larissa Boles went down with an injury on Thursday. “It’s definitely a good thing to get a win … with how we’ve been struggling with a big loss.
“It gives us more confidence.”
Dunn hit a three-run blast — her third consecutive game with a home run — to cap a six-run fourth inning that put the game out of reach.
With Jay County leading 9-7, freshman Kady Finnerty led off the fourth with a single, and Kaili Baughman worked SAHS pitcher Morgan Alberson for a 14-pitch walk. Finnerty came around to score on a McKayla Norris single, and Courtney Finnerty, Kady’s older sister, hit a two-run double. Two batters later Dunn launched a 2-0 offering from Alberson over the fence in left field.
“We’ve had some stuff going on (lately) and it was hard to be focused,” said JCHS coach Doug Arbuckle, whose team moves to 10-8 on the season and improves to 3-1 in ACAC play. “(Monday) in practice the girls stepped it up. (They) performed well tonight. The girls were putting a good bat on the ball and hitting some balls hard.”
South Adams coach Jessie O’Dell noted that the Patriots were able to find holes in the Starfire defense.
“Early on it seemed like they got some seeing-eye hits,” he said. “It was just finding those spots that we weren’t there. Good teams find ways to make plays and I just don’t think we’re finding those ways to make plays right now.
“We have some kids that are inexperienced out there and it’s showing up a little bit.”
O’Dell and the Starfires have lost three straight games, falling to 8-8 on the season, and they are winless in four conference games.
Jay County’s chance at a victory didn’t seem likely early on as South Adams grabbed a 3-1 lead in the first inning.
Lauren Smith scored on an error and Keirstyn Grimm drove her in on a single. Cindy In’t Groen, who paced the Starfires with three hits, tallied her first of two RBI singles to drive in Grimm.
They also needed a breakout game from an offense that had been struggling lately.
Jay County High School’s softball team reached its highest run total of the season, tallying 14 hits — including three each from the top three spots in the lineup — in a 15-9 victory Tuesday over the South Adams Starfires.
It was the first meeting between the Patriots and Starfires as Allen County Athletic Conference opponents.
“As a team we came into this game a lot more prepared with a better attitude and ready to play,” said JCHS senior Catherine Dunn, who was 3-for-5 — a triple shy of the cycle — and drove in four runs. Dunn and the Patriots had lost three straight games since Larissa Boles went down with an injury on Thursday. “It’s definitely a good thing to get a win … with how we’ve been struggling with a big loss.
“It gives us more confidence.”
Dunn hit a three-run blast — her third consecutive game with a home run — to cap a six-run fourth inning that put the game out of reach.
With Jay County leading 9-7, freshman Kady Finnerty led off the fourth with a single, and Kaili Baughman worked SAHS pitcher Morgan Alberson for a 14-pitch walk. Finnerty came around to score on a McKayla Norris single, and Courtney Finnerty, Kady’s older sister, hit a two-run double. Two batters later Dunn launched a 2-0 offering from Alberson over the fence in left field.
“We’ve had some stuff going on (lately) and it was hard to be focused,” said JCHS coach Doug Arbuckle, whose team moves to 10-8 on the season and improves to 3-1 in ACAC play. “(Monday) in practice the girls stepped it up. (They) performed well tonight. The girls were putting a good bat on the ball and hitting some balls hard.”
South Adams coach Jessie O’Dell noted that the Patriots were able to find holes in the Starfire defense.
“Early on it seemed like they got some seeing-eye hits,” he said. “It was just finding those spots that we weren’t there. Good teams find ways to make plays and I just don’t think we’re finding those ways to make plays right now.
“We have some kids that are inexperienced out there and it’s showing up a little bit.”
O’Dell and the Starfires have lost three straight games, falling to 8-8 on the season, and they are winless in four conference games.
Jay County’s chance at a victory didn’t seem likely early on as South Adams grabbed a 3-1 lead in the first inning.
Lauren Smith scored on an error and Keirstyn Grimm drove her in on a single. Cindy In’t Groen, who paced the Starfires with three hits, tallied her first of two RBI singles to drive in Grimm.
Gabby Hart, Randi Auker and Dunn each tallied RBIs in the second as Jay County got on top, 5-3. Hart finished with two hits, and Auker had a sacrifice fly in the opening frame to score Courtney Finnerty for the first run of the game.
After holding the lead in the bottom of the inning, the Patriot offense continued to score in the third. Chloe Steigerwalt and Finnerty hit back-to-back RBI singles to drive in Norris and Catera Gierhart respectively. Steigerwalt and Finnerty, who both joined Dunn with three hits apiece, scored on an error by Sparks at third base to cap a four-run frame, giving Jay County a 9-3 advantage.
The Stars fired back in the bottom half of the frame, matching the Patriots’ four runs thanks to RBIs by Alberson, Sparks and In’t Groen. And despite holding Jay County scoreless through the final three frames — the Patriots had only one batter reach base — the Starfires weren’t able to get back in the game.
Alberson, who suffered the loss, giving up all 15 runs —13 earned — in 3.1 innings, bounced out to Auker at second base to drive in In’t Groen in the fifth, and Maddie Morgan scored in the sixth on a double by Sparks.
While Morgan, who is leading the Starfires with a .633 batting average and 27 RBIs, continued her tear at the plate with two more hits, Starfire leadoff hitter Alaina Johnston was kept off the bases for the first time this season. She popped out to center field in her first at bat, and grounded out to Kady Finnerty at short three times.
“She’s a catalyst for us,” O’Dell said. Johnston’s .574 average is second behind Morgan and she has scored a team-high 29 times. “She hit the ball fairly hard a couple times, she just couldn’t get it going.
“We couldn’t get everybody in the lineup to get hits at the same time. We needed one more big inning and we couldn’t get that.”
After holding the lead in the bottom of the inning, the Patriot offense continued to score in the third. Chloe Steigerwalt and Finnerty hit back-to-back RBI singles to drive in Norris and Catera Gierhart respectively. Steigerwalt and Finnerty, who both joined Dunn with three hits apiece, scored on an error by Sparks at third base to cap a four-run frame, giving Jay County a 9-3 advantage.
The Stars fired back in the bottom half of the frame, matching the Patriots’ four runs thanks to RBIs by Alberson, Sparks and In’t Groen. And despite holding Jay County scoreless through the final three frames — the Patriots had only one batter reach base — the Starfires weren’t able to get back in the game.
Alberson, who suffered the loss, giving up all 15 runs —13 earned — in 3.1 innings, bounced out to Auker at second base to drive in In’t Groen in the fifth, and Maddie Morgan scored in the sixth on a double by Sparks.
While Morgan, who is leading the Starfires with a .633 batting average and 27 RBIs, continued her tear at the plate with two more hits, Starfire leadoff hitter Alaina Johnston was kept off the bases for the first time this season. She popped out to center field in her first at bat, and grounded out to Kady Finnerty at short three times.
“She’s a catalyst for us,” O’Dell said. Johnston’s .574 average is second behind Morgan and she has scored a team-high 29 times. “She hit the ball fairly hard a couple times, she just couldn’t get it going.
“We couldn’t get everybody in the lineup to get hits at the same time. We needed one more big inning and we couldn’t get that.”
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