Jay stays hot, tops Tribe

FORT RECOVERY — Coming off perhaps the best offensive game in program history, the Patriots jumped on the Indians early.

Then they came through with some strong defense down the stretch.

Jay County High School’s softball team scored three runs in the first inning and kept the red-hot Fort Recovery Indians at bay for a 6-3 victory Thursday.

“We have a great lineup,” said first-year JCHS coach Trisha Green, whose team racked up 27 hits, including a school-record eight home runs, on Tuesday in a 25-0 thumping of Eastbrook. “We get on base. We steal and we’re moving. We’re trying fake bunts and steals. We’re just trying to get momentum and get hits and it’s been working for us.”

The Patriots move to 4-1 on the year while the Indians (10-3) had their seven-game winning streak snapped.

“They were real nice defensively,” Fort Recovery coach Ryan Thien said. “For whatever reason their pitcher had us off balance. She had a nice rise ball and we just kept getting underneath it and popping up.

“She definitely had us off balance.”

Jay County, which hosts Norwell tonight, led off the game with consecutive singles from Taylor Brown and Olivia Bright. Brown was thrown out at third on a fielder’s choice.

Bright stole third and Aubrie Schwieterman, who reached on the fielder’s choice, swiped second to put two runners in scoring position.

Renna Schwieterman, who had two of the Patriots’ eight homers Tuesday, lofted a two-run double to right-center field to score Bright and her sister, then Mady Fraley followed with a double to the same spot for another RBI.

Bright led the Patriots with a pair of singles, two stolen bases and two runs. Renna Schwieterman ended her day 1-for-2 with a sacrifice fly and three RBIs.

“She’s a hitter,” Green said of the younger Schwieterman. “You put back-to-back Schwietermans and you’re going to get a run there somewhere.”

Fort Recovery got on the board in the second inning when Sophie Pearson scored on an inside-the-park home run after Matty Ardizzone and Fraley collided in right-center field, allowing the ball to roll to the fence for the easy round-tripper. Kensey Gaerke followed Pearson with a single before Alison Knapke had an RBI single to bring the Indians within one.

Once Jay County extended its lead to 5-2 in the top of third inning, Fort Recovery got its final run of the night in the home half of the frame on a Maddie Guggenbiller RBI single to score Brenna Homan.

Patriot pitcher Haleigh Clayton and the JCHS defense buckled down from there. Clayton retired seven straight Indians, including putting the Tribe down in order in the fourth and fifth innings.

Clayton did her part defensively too, reaching out to grab a soft pop up down the first-base line while colliding with catcher Riah Champ for the third out in the sixth inning with the Indians having two runners on base.

And in the top of the seventh, Clayton knocked down a grounder up the middle from Cali Wendel, and with it rolling back toward the plate Clayton made an off-balance throw from her knees to first for the out.

“Haleigh Clayton, she is just clutch pitching (and) fielding,” Green said. Clayton scattered six hits and struck out four, and only one of the runs she surrendered was earned. “The ball is hit to her you can count on her. She bobbled that one and she threw our out at first base.

“She’s got a great attitude. She’s fun to watch. She’s always smiling. Everybody out here can make plays. We’ve got a great team.”

Jay County continued its aggressiveness offensively, only seeing a three-ball count once. The team combined for a triple, two doubles and three stolen bases despite striking out five times.

“Our whole lineup … they’re all great,” Green said. “It’s hard to put them in the lineup because they’re all hitting so well. We’ve got a great team. We’ve got great hitters. I think we can compete with anyone.”

Pearson suffered the loss for the Tribe. She allowed five earned runs on five hits with three strikeouts in four innings. Jackie Homan tossed the final three frames, giving up one earned run on two hits with two strikeouts.

“Definitely a game like this puts it all in perspective,” Thien said. Gaerke paced the Indian offense with a pair of singles. “We have to fight and battle every game, every at bat. Nothing is going to be handed to us, so we have to keep working and take it one at bat at a time, one pitch at a time.”