May 2, 2016 at 5:42 p.m.

Tribe defense falters in loss

Wildcats score 13 unearned runs against Fort Recovery
Tribe defense falters in loss
Tribe defense falters in loss

FORT RECOVERY — The first two times through the lineup, the Wildcats had a difficult time figuring out Chelsea Timmerman.
The Indian softball team struggled to get outs the next two times through the order.
Houston scored four runs during the fifth inning and tacked on nine more thanks to a record-breaking grand slam during the seventh inning in a 14-0 victory Saturday over the Fort Recovery Indians in the first game of a doubleheader.
Game two was canceled because of rain.
“Unfortunately the wheels fell off in the fifth (inning),” said FRHS coach Jeff Vaughn, whose team dropped to 2-15 on the season. “One earned run out of 14 … our defense definitely let us down.”
Houston (12-5) scored a run in the top of the first inning, but wasn’t able to tack on any more for the next three frames.
Rebekah New hit a leadoff double in the fifth inning for the Wildcats, and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt. Timmerman struck out Brooklyn Felver for the second out, but consecutive errors put the Wildcats ahead 2-0 with runners at the corners.
Macey Stang followed with an RBI single, and Jenna Jarrett ripped a two-run double to right center field for a 5-0 Houston advantage.
“The girls were swinging over top of the ball the first couple of innings and weren’t making good contact,” Houston coach Brent New said. “We were trying to get them to move up in the box but still keep their weight back. Once they did that they started making good contact.
“That is basically what it came down to — staying back on the ball.”

After the bottom of the Wildcat lineup went down in order during the sixth inning, it was the top of the order that sparked the nine-run seventh. Micalah Hensley reached on an error, and then a single from Kayla New and an outfield error let Hensley score. Two batters later Jarrett hit an RBI groundout to make it 8-0 Wildcats.
Brittany Timmerman later hit a two-run single, and then Hensley launched a 1-0 pitch from Chelsea Timmerman over the scoreboard in left field for a grand slam. It was the 16th homer of her career to set a new school record.
“I think the girls had been through the lineup two or three times and they were seeing the ball better, making much better contact,” Brent New said. “Just seeing the ball through the lineup three or four times is what makes a difference.”
Aside from two bad innings, Timmerman pitched well. She scattered eight hits, only one of the 14 Wildcat runs was earned, she walked one and struck out 12. The Tribe defense simply gave too many extra outs.
“All year she’s pitched pretty well, she just hasn’t had a whole lot of help with her on the defensive end,” Vaughn said.
Much like Houston did early off Timmerman, Fort Recovery had a difficult time picking up on Stang’s pitches. The righty recorded strikeouts for eight of the first nine outs, and finished with 13 on the day. The Indians only had two hits, a single during the third inning from Timmerman and an infield single by Audra Metzger in the seventh.
Many of Stang’s strikes induced swings, but the Tribe just couldn’t put the bat on the ball.
“(Stang) has a natural rise when she throws the ball so it is kind of hard to pick it up at times,” New said. “It comes up higher in the zone than what you’re expecting as a batter. When she’s on she does a really good job.”
The Indians threatened during the sixth inning when back-to-back errors gave the home team runners at the corners. Timmerman was thrown out at the plate for the second out, and Devin Post popped out to the right fielder to end the frame.
“There were some good at bats, we had some girls that went six, seven pitches in their at bats,” Vaughn said. “The girl pitched a good game. It was just one of those days we couldn’t hit the ball.”
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