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A game Bellwood-Antis team kept Monday\’s match-up against West Branch close throughout most of the game, but could not answer the Lady Warrior\’s offense in the late innings and fell 8-2.
The first inning started off well for the Lady Blue Devils when pitcher Heather Detwiler got the first out on a ground ball to third, but the next three West Branch hitters would reach on an error, a walk and a single to load the bases.
Shortstop Rebecca Forney helped Detwiler get out of the jam when she caught a Valerie Amick line drive and flipped the ball to third to retire Melinda Korb who had strayed too far off the bag.
Detwiler drew a walk in the bottom of the inning, but would get no farther than second base. After one inning the game was scoreless.
West Branch started out the second as they had left off in the first. Ryan Mosiak led off with a single and went to second on a wild pitch. After Detwiler got a strike out, Jaime Jones singled off Forney\’s glove and Ashley Lutz walked to load the bases. Angie Fenush drew a RBI walk to put the first run of the game across the plate, but Bellwood-Antis got out of the inning on the next pitch. Korb hit a sharp grounder to third that Chelsey Kephart fielded. She stepped on third for one out and threw home to Charlie Burns who put the tag on Jones for the third out and Bellwood\’s second double play in as many innings.
West Branch pitcher Olivia Beveridge struck out the first two Bellwood-Antis batters in the bottom half of the second, but gave up a two-out single to Kephart. When the throw in from the outfield got away, Kephart tried to take second, but was thrown out by catcher Jessica Sabol to end the inning.
The Lady Warriors got two more runs in the third with the help of a little wildness from Detwiler. Two walks and a hit by pitch loaded the bases with one out, and Leah Lawrence hit a two RBI single. Pam Weyant ended the offensive spurt with two nice catches in left field.
Bellwood-Antis answered the West Branch rally with two runs of their own in the bottom of the third. After a ground out, Danielle Riley was hit by a pitch and moved to third on a Forney single. Detwiler brought both runners in with a double that just missed clearing the fence, but was stranded at second. With three innings in the books, West Branch led 3-2.
For the fourth straight inning, West Branch loaded the bases, this time with the help of two bunt singles. But once again Bellwood refused to allow a big inning, and only one run crossed the plate.
“They don\’t quit. Early in the season this probably would have been one of those games where we get blown out, but we kept working hard and got out of a lot of jams,” said head coach Alex Sitman.
Both teams went quietly in the fifth, but West Branch tacked on three more runs in the sixth with three singles, a walk, a hit by pitch and a Bellwood-Antis error.
Down 7-2, Detwiler tried to start a rally by singling to lead off the bottom of the sixth, but two fielder\’s choices and a strike out ended the inning.
West Branch added an eighth run in the seventh with a Mosiak RBI double, and threatened to get more when Rachel Johnson reached on an error. The Lady Blue Devils wouldn\’t let it happen. Casey Narehood caught a blooper and tossed it to first to complete Bellwood-Antis\’ third double play of the game when Johnson was caught off first.
Kirsten Myers drew a walk in the bottom of the seventh for Bellwood-Antis, but any attempt at a rally ended there as Beveridge got a strike out to end the game.
“She\’s a good pitcher, and she really kept us off balance today,” said Sitman.
Heather Detwiler had two hits including a double and knocked in both runs for the Lady Blue Devils.
“She\’s really been stroking the ball well, and she\’s a good strong hitter. She\’s a sophomore with a lot of promise,” said Sitman about Detwiler\’s performance.
Bellwood-Antis\’ next action will be at home against Williamsburg Tuesday at 4:30 PM.
West Branch 8 Bellwood-Antis 2
WEST BRANCH – Fenush, 3b, 3-1-2; Korb, rf, 4-0-2; Howe, rf, 0-0-0; Sample, ss, 3-1-0; Beveridge, p, 4-1-1; Amick, 1b, 4-3-2; Mosiak, cf, 3-1-2; Lawrence, 2b, 4-0-1; Johnson, 2b, 1-0-0; Jones, dp, 5-1-2; Lutz, lf, 2-0-0; Hamm, lf, 0-0-0. TOTALS 33-8-12.
BELLWOOD-ANTIS – Forney, ss, 3-1-1; Detwiler, p, 2-0-2; Pfhaler, 1b, 3-0-0; Burns, c, 3-0-0; Narehood, 2b, 3-0-0; Weyant, lf, 3-0-0; Kephart, 3b, 3-0-1; Cresswell, rf, 1-0-0; Myers, cr-rf, 1-0-0; Riley, cf, 1-1-0; Turner, ph, 1-0-0. TOTALS 24-2-4.
West Branch 012 103 1 8-12-1.
Bellwood-Antis 002 000 0 2-4-3.
2B: Mosiak 1, Detwiler 1.
RBI: Lawrence 3, Mosiak 2, Fenush 1, Howe 1, Sample 1, Detwiler 2.
SO: Beveridge 9, Detwiler 1.
BB: Detwiler 8, Beveridge 2.
HBP: Howe 1 (By Detwiler), Fenush 1 (By Detwiler), Riley 1 (By
Beveridge).
WP: Beveridge LP: Detwiler.
