Jay bats silent in shutout to Elwood

Copyright 2017, The Commercial Review

All Rights Reserved.

Kenzie Bryan earned herself a full-ride scholarship.

The Patriots found out why.

Jay County High School’s softball team mustered just two hits and struck out 13 times in a 10-0 loss to the Elwood Panthers on Tuesday.

“I tried my best to prepare them for tonight,” said JCHS coach Amy Hawbaker, whose team has dropped back-to-back games and fell to 2-4 on the year. “I knew it was going to be a very good pitcher that we would face.

“Honestly, I think they went up to the plate more focused and ready to hit the ball tonight than they did last night (a 12-9 loss to St. Henry) … I was proud of them for staying focused and at least putting forth the effort.”

Bryan, an Elwood senior who will attend Northern Illinois University next season, wasted no time mowing through the Patriot’s lineup. She struck out the first two batters she faced in the each of the first two innings. She fanned all three in the fourth and finished with 11 strikeouts in five innings. She didn’t allow a walk, and her only hit came in with two outs in the third inning during which Jay County senior Catera Gierhart blasted a double to left field on the first pitch she saw.

“She’s pretty fun to coach,” said Elwood coach JR Reese, whose team moved to 7-2 and finished 14th in the most recent Class 2A poll. “It’s easy to coach when she’s out there on the mound. … She’s not at her peak yet. I’ve seen her at her peak before. When she’s at her peak there won’t be very many people touching the ball.”

With Bryan in the circle, the Panther defense only had to make four outs. JCHS junior Kady Finnerty bounced out to the shortstop in the first inning, Kaylee Inman did the same one inning later, Katie Carpenter grounded out to the first baseman in the fourth and Inman popped out to the catcher in the fifth inning.

Bryan gave way to Gabby Leavell in the sixth, and she kept the shutout intact, allowing one hit — a single by Chloe Trissel — while striking out two. She and Bryan did not issue a walk.

“It’s nice in games like this we can put someone else in, who is a very good pitcher,” Reese said. Elwood didn’t allow a Patriot runner to reach third base. “But she’s more of a placement pitcher that is going to allow some contact so that the defense can get some work.”

Each of the Patriots’ 13 strikeouts were swinging, it’s just they couldn’t catch up with Bryan’s speed at the beginning or find holes in the defense in the final two innings. Hawbaker said she was still pleased with her team’s aggressiveness in trying to put the bat on the ball.

“I’ve drilled into them pitch selection and not being picky, and it’s hard to go from that to ‘Just throw your hands at the ball and pray you hit it,’” she said.

Elwood scored two runs in each of the first and third innings, and tacked on one more in the third for a 5-0 advantage. In each of her first two at bats, Bryan launched balls over the fence but in foul territory, and Inman was able to strike her out on both occasions. Bryan had a double in the fourth inning, and two innings later she blasted a two-run home run to put the Panthers on top 8-0.

Emily Booker, Leavell and Bryan each had two hits for Elwood, which out-hit Jay County 13-2. Whether it was swinging away or dropping down a bunt, the Panthers put the ball in play nearly every at bat.

“They were a little stunned when (Bryan) hit the first one out to the driveway,” Hawbaker said. “I thought Kaylee Inman did an amazing job tonight. They were amazing hitters.”

Inman gave up 10 runs — seven earned — while striking out four and walking one.

“She did a great job of changing speeds, hitting spots and she did the best she could,” Habaker said.