Softball

Run and gun

Lady Bulldogs get the winning run after gunning down O’Neill runner at the plate

By RICHARD A. ROSS

JEFFERSONVILLE, NY — Good pitching and outstanding defense will inevitably lead to wins. Sullivan West mustered both in an exciting 2-1, eight-inning league victory over James I. O’Neill on April 30.

Riding the solid outing of senior hurler Sarah Lander, who found her groove, and a gun-of-an-arm by center fielder Cara Davies, who cut off a potential go-ahead run at the plate by the Lady Raiders, the Lady Bulldogs got the kind of win that could well be a preamble to many more.

For its part, O’Neill left the field knowing it had its chances. The Lady Raiders got a stellar pitching performance from sophomore Sam Phillips but squandered opportunities by dint of errors and having runners erased from the base paths.

Sullivan West scored in the first inning as Lindsey Bauer led off with a booming triple and came home on a sacrifice fly by Kristen Niemann.

Phillips got Stephanie Meyer to pop out to second to end the inning, but the Bulldogs would hold that 1-0 lead until the top of the seventh. In the interim, the Lady Raiders had runners on base, but were unable to cash in on several opportunities.

In the third inning, O’Neill’s Meghan Kort led off with a triple, but was cut down at the plate on a fielder’s choice as Sullivan West catcher Kristen Niemann applied the tag. A one-three double play ended the inning. O’Neill put runners on first and second with no one out in the fifth inning and again came up empty handed. After a force out at third, deftly handled by shortstop Jen Pitz, O’Neill’s sac bunted the runners over, putting two in scoring position.

Lander issued a walk to Kort to load the bases but got Phillips to fly out to center, as Davies got the key put out to end the inning. Davies’ defense and throwing ability would be key in this game. She had earlier showed her range in snaring a hard-hit ball by Kate Cronin. But her best play would come in the eighth inning on a deadeye throw to the plate that would save the go-ahead run.

Sullivan West missed a chance to go ahead in the sixth, as Niemann and Meyer led off with back-to-back singles. Niemann was erased at third on a 6-5 put out, and Meyer was tagged out at the plate on a fielder’s choice by catcher Rachel Abrams.

The Lady Raiders tied the game in the seventh. A leadoff triple by Abrams led to the tie on a passed ball. But that one run was all the Lady Raiders could manage. Sullivan West, which had been blanked ever since the first inning, failed to score in the seventh, and that sent the game into extra innings.

In the top of the eighth, a one-out single by O’Neill’s Rachel Hannawalt gave O’Neill the go-ahead run on base. Caitlin Guerra came in as a courtesy runner but was gunned down at the plate as Niemann took the throw from Davies to nix the scoring attempt. Lander induced a fly out to end the inning.

In the bottom of the frame, Meyer reached on a throwing error that enabled her to get to second. Coach Mike Ellmauer inserted Colleen Chudik as a pinch runner. A fielder’s choice off the bat of Rachel Gruenke led to a wild throw that advanced Chudik to score the winning run.

Sullivan West improved to 3-4 (2-1 Division IV). Ellmauer praised both pitchers but noted, “We’ve got to put a couple more hits together.” O’Neill’s record fell to 3-7 (1-2 Division IV).

Sullivan West plays Liberty twice this week in a Monday and Friday home and away series. They will host Port Jervis in between on May 8, hoping to do better than the 20-1 thrashing they experienced playing at Port Jervis.

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