For three innings of Bellwood-Antis’ rematch against Claysburg-Kimmel, the Lady Blue Devils outplayed the Lady Bulldogs. Considering they had lost 16-0 in less than three innings in their previous game, Tuesday’s 14-4 loss could be viewed as a positive.
However, during the course of the second and third innings, in which Claysburg-Kimmel scored 13 runs, Bellwood-Antis committed six errors and failed to make routine plays leading to a large deficit that the Lady Blue Devils could have easily avoided.
“If we would have made the routine plays, we could have kept them at bay,” Bellwood-Antis Manager Alex Sitman said. “They hit the ball well too, but if we made the routine plays it would have kept them out of all the games they played on the base paths to get extra bases.”
While the Lady Bulldogs did get to Bellwood-Antis hurler Emily Derr for seven hits over the two innings, many of the hits came after errors that elongated the inning. In the first, fourth and fifth innings combined, the Lady Blue Devils committed a total of only one error, and Derr held Claysburg-Kimmel to one run.
The errors came coupled with walks as both team‘s pitchers had to deal with a constant downpour of rain. All seven of Derr’s walks came in the second and third innings. Lady Bulldog hurler Renee Musselman battled her own case of wildness in the bottom of the fourth inning when she walked Derr and Jenna Brown before hitting Courtney Hamer with a pitch.
The Lady Blue Devils took advantage when Leah Snyder reached on an error that brought home Derr. With the bases loaded, Pam Weyant hit a ground ball that was thrown home and dropped by catcher Monica Iachini, allowing Brown to score. Tory Baldauf, who had one of Bellwood-Antis’ two hits, then grounded out to drive in another run.
“That rally was very important, because those are the times where it is easy to cave in,” Sitman said. “When we put the ball in play, they can struggle just as well as we can, and that’s what I’m seeing from these young ladies. When we can light that fire, they’re coming after these teams and won’t quit.”
The meat of Claysburg-Kimmel’s order, Amber and Christina Claar, along with Renee Musselman, produced six RBIs, five hits and scored five runs.
Musselman allowed a single to Baldauf, the second hitter of the game, but struck out six straight before walking Nikki Heuston in the third inning. The Lady Bulldog pitcher finished with 11 strikeouts.
Christine Pfhaler drove in the first Bellwood-Antis run of the game in the bottom of the third inning with a two-out single up the middle to score Weyant.
Bellwood-Antis will travel to Glendale Thursday. First pitch is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.
The Lady Blue Devils defeated the Lady Vikings 8-7 in a game held at Bellwood earlier in the season.
Claysburg-Kimmel 14 Bellwood-Antis 4
CLAYSBURG-KIMMEL – Leslie, 2b, 3-2-0; Iachini, c, 3-0-0; C. Claar, ss, 3-3-2; A. Claar, 3b, 3-2-2; R. Musselman, p, 4-0-1; Miller, cr, 0-0-0; K. Musselman, 1b, 3-1-0; Strayer, lf, 4-2-3; Harshberger, cf, 3-2-2; Gerheim, rf, 1-2-0. TOTALS 27-14-10.
BELLWOOD-ANTIS – Weyant, cf, 3-1-0; Baldauf, ss, 3-0-1; Pfhaler, 2b, 3-0-1; Askey, c, 2-0-0; Derr, p, 2-1-0; Brown, 3b, 2-1-0; Snyder, lf, 3-1-0; Hamer, rf, 1-0-0; Heuston, 1b, 1-0-0. TOTALS 20-4-2.
Claysburg-Kimmel 167 00 14-10-3
Bellwood-Antis 001 30 4-2-7
2B: C. Claar, K. Musselman.
RBI: C. Claar 2, A. Claar 2, R. Musselman 2, Strayer 1, Harshberger 1, Baldauf 1, Pfhaler 1.
SO: R. Musselman 11, Derr 1.
BB: R. Musselman 4, Derr 7.
WP: R. Musselman LP: Derr.
