Friday, April 24th, 2009

St. Henry rallies for win in sixth

By Mark Ruschau
Photo by Mark Pummell/The Daily Standard

New Bremen's Emily Phlipot, left, slides safely into second base as the ball bounces away from St. Henry's Kenzie Bruggeman during their Midwest Athletic Conference contest on Thursday. The Redskins won the game, 2-0.

ST. HENRY - The St. Henry Redskin softball team used some late-inning magic Thursday afternoon to down the New Bremen Cardinals 2-0 in an early season classic in Midwest Athletic Conference play at the Wally Post Athletic Complex.
With the win, St. Henry improves to 7-1 overall and 2-0 in conference play. New Bremen falls to 1-1 in the MAC and 6-5 overall.
"This was a tremendous game and I told Craig after the game that it was a shame that it came down to a blooper hit but we will take it," said St. Henry coach Josh Link. "I think if you are just a fan watching this game that you have to enjoy what you saw, it was a great fundamentally played game."
"This was a well played softball game by both teams," said New Bremen coach Craig Griesdorn. "Both pitchers pitched well. Both teams put the ball in play. Both teams made the plays they had to make."
The Redskins scored the only runs of the game in the sixth inning. With one out, Kenzie Bruggeman walk to start a rally. Rachel Borgerding then reached on a fielder's choice when the throw from second baseman Emily Phlipot was off the mark. After Brittany Rutschlling moved up both runners with a sacrifice bunt, Michelle Stout reached out and blooped a two-run single into shallow rightfield, just out of the reach of Phlipot, first baseman Hannah Overman and rightfielder Morgan Russell.
"When it gets late in the game, you have to take chances and give yourself a chance to get something and fortunately we were able to get some thing," said Link.
"The worst thing that happened in our case was the fact that Stacy walked that batter," said coach Griesdorn. "Stacy pitched a hell of a game, we knew that one run was going to win and that is what happened. They did not hit the ball hard in the inning but they hit it where no one could get to it, was just one of those things."
The late St. Henry heroics were necessary as Stout and Timmerman locked up in a great softball pitching duel, complete with great defensive plays from their mates.
Stout allowed just four hits, striking out seven and walking just one while Timmerman allowed just four hits and two runs.
New Bremen had the better of the scoring chances as it got runners on base three times with less then two outs but were unable to dent the scoreboard. The Cardinals' best chance came in the sixth as Phlipot led off the inning with an infield hit off Stout. After Timmerman struck out, Michelle Griesdorn singled with Phlipot taking third. After Griesdorn stole second, Becca Dwenger hit a soft line drive right at the second base bag that was grabbed by Borgerding who stepped on the bag to double off Griesdorn.
"That double play was just one of those bang-bang plays," said coach Griesdorn. "Both runners were off on contact... the ball was hit, their second baseman made a great play, what can you do."
St. Henry had just one other scoring chance in the fifth, as Macy Miller reached on an infield hit and Shelley Post singled. Brittany Bayles then struck out and Miller was thrown out trying to steal third. The threat ended when Lyndie Hart flew out.
New Bremen returns to play today at Beekman Park on The Ohio State University campus against New Concord John Glenn in the Stellar Softball Classic with game time set for 7:15 p.m. St. Henry travels to Bellefontaine on Saturday for a pair of games with the first pitch scheduled for 11 a.m.
Photo by Mark Pummell/The Daily Standard

St. Henry catcher Shelly Post fires the ball to first base for an out during the Redskins' 2-0 win over New Bremen on Thursday.

Additional online stories on this date
The 2009 Governor's Cup Regatta is a now a sure thing for this summer despite earlier reports of a possible no-show due to lack of sponsorship.
Lat [More]
An Indiana woman and her father-in-law were killed when their car slammed into the rear of a dump truck at the intersection of state Routes 29 and 118 Thursday morning. [More]
Subscriber and paid stories on this date
Area leaders are creating "wish lists" for projects they hope to accomplish with upgraded Internet service.
Community leaders from various sectors
Several local communities are included in the list of 324 "intended" projects to receive stimulus funds for water pollution and drinking water projects, as announced Thursday by the Ohio EPA.
Oral arguments are scheduled Tuesday morning in an appeal filed on behalf of former Chickasaw resident Nicholas Schwieterman. The 9 a.m. proceeding takes place at Third District Court of Appeals in Lima.
Tri Star continues to offer students the opportunity to simultaneously earn both high school and college credit, a move officials say can save them much time and money when pursuing higher education.
St. Peters church in New Bremen is sponsoring a Spring Tea event 1-4 p.m. Saturday in memory of a talented congregation member who passed away in July 2006.
Celina shrugged off a first-inning scoring spurt by Marion Local as Bulldog southpaw Jeremy Kerr scattered three hits and retired the last 13 batters he faced as the Bulldogs won 7-2 over the Flyers at Montgomery Field on Thursday.
ST. MARYS - The Defiance softball team managed just one hit, but that lone hit also produced the game's only run.
Lindsay Tobias ripped a two-out RBI single in the first inning to help Defiance to a 1-0 win over St. Marys in Western Buckeye League action at K.C. Geiger Park on Thursday.
Compiled by Gary R. Rasberry
St. Henry got a big defensive play to keep St. John's from taking a lead, then picked up the win in the bottom of the eighth inning with a 3-2 decision over the Blue Jays at the Wally Post Athletic Complex on Thursday.