When Eisenhower and Youngsville met on the season's opening day, it was a slugfest with the Eagles earning a 13-10 decision.
Wednesday's rematch at Eisenhower couldn't have been more different.
Youngsville's Amber Fox and Eisenhower's Haylie Birt went toe-to-toe in a pitcher's duel with the Eagles ultimately earning the season sweep with a 2-0 victory.
Article Photos
Times Observer photo by Allen Seybert
Break in the action
Youngsville’s Amber Fox, left, talks with Eagles assistant coach Brian Reynolds during a break in the action at Wednesday’s softball game with Eisenhower at Eisenhower High School. Standing on second base is Youngsville’s Kennedy Cratty.
Fox allowed only one Eisenhower single over seven innings, striking out 10 and walking none. Birt allowed two runs on four hits and struck out four Eagle batters.
"Amber gave us one of the best games we've had thrown here in years," said Youngsville coach Mark Nyquist. "Just phenomenal. Games like this - close games - are going to help us down the road. We had to play nearly perfect in the field and we did a nice job of that today with few exceptions."
Eisenhower coach R.J. Williams acknowledged that the way his Knights played on Wednesday would be good enough to win on a lot of days. Wednesday just wasn't one of them.
"We only made a couple mistakes today, but they took advantage of them," said Williams. "Most days, just making a few mistakes will still allow you to win the game. They threatened more than we did today, but we were within one or two the whole way and we had a shot right until the end."
The first run of the game didn't come until the top of the fifth inning - and even then the Eagles' bats had little to do with it.
Colleen Rex led off with a walk and moved to third when Kennedy Cratty reached first on an infield error. After Cratty stole second, Fox worked a walk, bringing Shelby Anderson to the plate with the bases loaded. Rather than get a hit, Anderson was hit on the left foot, forcing Rex home from third to make it 1-0.
Youngsville tacked on an insurance run in the top of the seventh after Fox delivered a one-out double. After stealing third, the Eagles' pitcher crossed home on a sacrifice fly by Anderson.
In the bottom of the last inning, Eisenhower's Birt was able to reach on an error, bringing Brooke Stanton to the dish. Stanton hit a ball in the sweet spot between the pitcher and shortstop, but Cratty made a diving play on the ball for the second out. Cratty was then able to throw to first to double off the runner and end the game.
Rex, Cratty, Fox and Cierra Ohl all finished with one hit each. Despite going 0-for-2, Anderson drove home both runs in the game. Eisenhower's only hit was a third inning single by Kearsten Maine.
Youngsville (7-6) returns to the field Friday, hosting Northwestern. Eisenhower (1-11) hosts Girard on Thursday.
YOUNGSVILLE (2): ab-r-h-rbi: Rex, c, 4-1-1-0, Ke. Cratty, ss, 4-0-1-0, Fox, p, 3-1-1-0, S. Anderson, 3b, 2-0-0-2, Dunn, 1b, 4-0-0-0, Lewis, lf, 2-0-0-0, Ohl, dp, 3-0-1-0, Ju. Jameson, pr, 0-0-0-0, Je. Jameson, cf, 3-0-0-0, Sveda, rf, 2-0-0-0, K. Anderson, 2b, 0-0-0-0, Ka. Cratty, 2b, 0-0-0-0, Totals: 27-2-4-2
EISENHOWER (0): ab-r-h-rbi: Byrd, ss, 3-0-0-0, K. Williams, cf, 3-0-0-0, Birt, p, 3-0-0-0, Stanton, c, 3-0-0-0, D. Williams, 1b, 2-0-0-0, Maine, lf, 2-0-1-0, Morrison, 3b, 2-0-0-0, Barnett, 2b, 2-0-0-0, Schutt, 1-0-0-0, Lange, rf, 0-0-0-0, Totals: 21-0-1-0
Youngsville 000 010 1 - 2 4 2
Eisenhower 000 000 0 - 0 1 3
2b-Fox (Y). WP-Fox. LP-Birt.
---
DuBois Central Catholic 18, Sheffield 3
DUBOIS - DuBois Central Catholic hit the ball all over the field Wednesday, defeating the Sheffield Wolverines, 18-3, at DuBois Central Catholic High School.
Sheffield did manage to score three runs in the top of the second inning, but by that point, the hosts already held a 6-0 advantage. Still, to their credit, the Lady Wolverines battled back to cut that deficit in half.
Brooke Hoffman led off the inning with a single and Maddie Fiscus reached on an error. A Rachel Maines infield single loaded the bases and Kayla Curtis brought home two runs with a deep single. A third Sheffield run would score on a passed ball.
With the score 6-3, Sheffield took to the field in the bottom of the second, but did not return for awhile. The Lady Cardinals scored eight times in the second and four more times in the third to close out the game via the 15-run rule.
Sheffield returns to action Thursday, hosting Kane in a doubleheader.
SHEFFIELD (3): ab-r-h-rbi: Barr, 1b, 2-0-0-0, Baldensperger, c, 2-0-0-0, Vile, cf, 1-0-0-0, Hoffman, 3b, 2-1-1-0, Fiscus, p, 1-0-0-0, Pratz, lf, 1-0-0-0, Maines, ss, 1-1-1-0, Curtis, rf, 1-0-1-2, Pollock, 2b, 1-0-0-0, Totals: 12-3-3-2
DCC (18): ab-r-h-rbi: Gulvis, ss, 4-2-4-2, Shaffer, cf, 3-1-1-3, Veracollo, p, 4-2-1-1, Yeberneski, lf, 3-1-1-1, Thomas, 3b, 3-3-2-1, Margione, 1b, 2-3-2-1, Ingram, c, 2-3-2-2, Bittner, 2b, 2-2-1-1, Hassan, rf, 1-1-0-1, Totals: 24-18-14-13
Sheffield 030 - 3 3
DCC 684 - 18 14
2b-Thomas (D). 3b-Shaffer (D). WP-Veracollo. LP-Fiscus.