Upper uses small ball to top CC

Upper Sandusky’s softball team showed Thursday it does not have to win with offense.
The Rams made only one error and got a three-hit pitching performance from Allie Smith to take a 3-2 victory at Colonel Crawford.
Smith (13-7) walked just one and struck out one as the Rams (13-7, 9-2 North Central Conference) remain in contention in the NCC Black Division, trailing Bucyrus by one game with two league games left.
“Allie pitched the best she has pitched in the past week and kept the Eagles hits off balance while the defense played great behind her,” Upper Sandusky coach Dave Young said. “Everyone defensively made great plays to keep the Eagles off the basepaths.”
Upper Sandusky took a 1-0 lead after one inning, but Colonel Crawford (16-9, 8-3 NCC) took control with a two-run third inning. The Rams tied it in the fifth inning and scored the go-ahead run in the top of the seventh inning.
“We hit the ball well and were able to move runners with our small game when needed, which has been superb all year,” Young said.
Savannah Piecha finished with two hits and scored one run. Amber Cox singled and had an RBI, while Maranda Stansbery’s double was the team’s only extra-base hit. Michaela Wolfe and Paige Perry had singles and Kate Taylor and Lexa Cheney scored runs.
It was enough to beat Nikyla Garverick (15-9). She gave up just six hits and a walk with six strikeouts.
Garverick had a double offensively. Sarah Swisher and Kelsie McLaughlin had singles.
Colonel Crawford could have clinched the NCC Silver Division championship with a win, but instead Lucas (9-10, 6-4 NCC) moved within a game of the Eagles, who play Crestline twice next week to close out their league slate.
The Rams take on Wynford in a Division III sectional final game at 10 a.m. Saturday at Shelby.

Score by innings
Upper Sandusky    100    010    1    — 3 6 1
Colonel Crawford    002    000    0    — 2 3 3
WP: Smith (13-7); LP: Garverick (15-9).
2B: Stansbery (US), Garverick (CC).

Posted by Daily Chief on May 4, 2012. Filed under Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry