Another walk-off

For the fourth time this season, the Patriots hit a walk-off to end a game early.

For the third time this season, they hit a home run to end a game early.

For the second time this season, Riah Champ hit a two-run walk-off home run to end a game early.

Champ’s home run ended Jay County’s 11th win of the season in five innings Tuesday as the Patriot softball team topped St. Henry 15-5 in a make-up game that was initially scheduled for Monday but moved because of weather.

Champ’s game didn’t start the way it ended. She struck out in her first two at bats. Her next opportunity came in the fourth inning, when she drove in a run on a double to left field. Her fourth at bat produced a long single that hit off of the fence in center field. She got ahold of a ball in the sixth inning, hitting a two-run home run to end the game.

“I had two strikeouts and that's embarrassing,” Champ said. “Then I was like, 'I'm going to hit this dang ball. I'm not going to swing at bad pitches and I'm going to hit that ball.'”

The junior wasn’t the only Patriot to find success at the plate. Eight batters got a hit, three had three or more hits, and four had three RBIs.

“They just flat out put the bat on the ball,” St. Henry coach Ashley Knapke said. “They kept our pitchers guessing. We tried two pitchers out and they hit both. They are a very good hitting team.”

The Patriots hit a lull in the second and third innings. The short drought inspired coach Doug Arbuckle to urge the top of his lineup to get the team back on track. Mady Fraley did just that with a double to deep center field.

“When I'm first up to bat I feel like I need to start stuff off and be a leader of the team,” Fraley said. “Whenever I get a good hit, I notice everybody else really gets up and hyped and I like that feeling.”

Fraley was the first hitter in four different innings. Three times she led off with a double. The other resulted in a base hit.

Following Fraley’s double was a home run from Mallory Winner to open the floodgates for the Patriots and extend their lead 6-3. A double from Jaelynn Lykins brought about a pitching change from St. Henry.

The change didn’t slow Jay County down as Champ delivered a double and Shimp singled to push two more runs across the plate for a five-run lead. After batting around in the fourth inning, the fifth inning went similarly, with singles from Fraley, Champ, Shimp and Renna Schwieterman adding another four runs.

While the Patriots owned innings four, five and six, the game did not begin as smoothly as they hoped. The first four St. Henry batters of the game reached base, including a two-RBI double for Jalynn Everman.

Winner was able to dial in after giving up the three runs, not allowing another to score until the fifth inning. She ended up going the distance, giving up four earned runs without walking a batter.

“It took us a little while to get going. Maybe the two days off, Sunday and Monday had a little something to do with that,” Arbuckle said. “After that we settled in and made some plays when we had to make some plays. Then we finally got the bats going.”

The Patriots responded to the initial punch with one of their own. A double from Fraley and a walk from Winner set up Lykins to drive in two runs on a triple. The Patriots then took the lead thanks to Schwieterman’s third home run of the year.

Many of the Patriots had a simple mindset when going to the plate today.

“Just hit the ball.”

Schwieterman, Champ and Fraley all echoed that phrase in some variation.

The approach has worked out well for the Patriots, who have averaged 11.25 runs a game so far this season.

Carlee Rethman suffered the loss for St. Henry, giving up nine earned runs on 10 hits in 3 1/3 innings of work.