HOLMES TOWNSHIP — Like much of this spring, Saturday began with rain in the morning.

Desperate to get games in with uncooperative weather, Wynford and Bucyrus went on with their Northern 10 Athletic Conference fame on a soggy field to start.

The result was a donnybrook between the backyard rivals. In the end, Bucyrus fell victim to five errors, leading to six unearned runs and Wynford held on for a 9-8 victory.

Lady Redmen coach Jerry Hargis addressed the issue that has plagued his team om this early season.

“We’re young, but that’s no excuse,” Hargis said. “We’ve hit them enough ground balls, they’ve caught enough, they’ve made enough mistakes, they should be getting over that.”

The key inning was the bottom of the fourth, which started with Bucyrus (0-5, 0-4 N10) leading 2-1. The Redmen committed three errors in the frame and the Royals took advantage by adding three hits and a walk on their way to a seven-run inning and an 8-2 advantage.

“I definitely think we’re pretty good on the base paths,” Wynford coach Jamee Jennings said. “I think speed, definitely, with our runners is one of our strengths this year. Taking advantage of that and a little bit of the wind. Our outfielders know our wind out here a little better — obviously, a home field advantage.”

To their credit, the Redmen did not fold after the disastrous fourth. Bucyrus came back in the fifth with four runs on six hits. Wynford (4-3, 2-2) contributed an error and the gap was closed to 8-6. The Redmen banged out 12 hits on the day.

“It’s been that way all year,” Hargis said. “We’ve hit the ball hard, but most of the time right at them. It’s our defense that’s really letting us down.”

Wynford got what looked like an insurance run in the fifth — unearned and without benefit of a hit — and that’s exactly what it turned out to be.

Reese McGuire was safe on an error to lead off the frame — a dropped fly ball which got McGuire to second. She moved to third on a ground out and scored on a sacrifice fly to center by Alexis Stevely.

The run loomed large when Bucyrus struck back with two runs in the sixth. Isabella Bruss led off with a single and Kendra Blizzard doubled her home. Blizzard went to third on a wild pitch and scored on an error. But Royals’ pitcher Maycie Morgan set the Redmen down 1-2-3 in the seventh to preserve the win.

Despite 17 runs being scored, both pitchers did enough to get wins on most days. Bucyrus’ Ashley Davis gave up seven hits while striking out six and walking just one. Morgan was touched for 12 hits but struck out four and walked one.

“Kudos to Ashley. She threw a heck of a game,” Jennings said. “Ashley held us to one hit there for a little while and we just turned it on there in the fourth. Maycie threw well too. Kudos to her for staying tough. It’s been a long few weeks on her arm, for sure.”

“(Ashley’s) one of our seniors, doing a great job, throwing strikes,” Hargis said. “Everybody else has got to pick it up. We’ll be all right by the end of the season. You better play us now.”

Natalie Hankins led the Redmen with three singles and two runs batted in. Bruss had three singles, Kendra Blizzard doubled and singled and Lexi Payne had two singles. Marissa Middleton and Karmyn Blizzard singled.

Maddy Johnson had three singles and two RBIs to lead Wynford. Adrienne Whitmeyer, Melanie Johnson, and Sami Hickman singled and drove in one run each. McGuire singled and Morgan and Stevely drove in a run apiece.

“The girls came out to play. It was a good game,” Jennings said. “The score doesn’t show that. It was a close game — too close.”

“We’ve got a lot of freshmen out there,” Hargis said. “We’ve got two seniors on the field. But they have to pick it up sometime. You can’t be a freshman your whole life.”

“Listen, you can’t count them out,” Jennings said of her alma mater. “Bucyrus is a great program; I know through and through. We were very successful, and they will continue to be. So, it’s not a game we’ll ever overlook.”

“Our hitting — we’re going to hit the ball,” Hargis said. “Ashley’s going to pitch the ball pretty good. Now, it’s how we’re going to play defense.”

“We’re still working out some kinks and figuring out some positions,” Jennings said. “The same thing with the lineup. I think everybody is in that position now.

“We gave up a few mistakes,” she added. “I’m excited for our next game (with Bucyrus). I think it will be cleaner between the two of us.”

Box score

Bucyrus     020 042 0         8      12       5

Wynford    100 710 X         9        7       2

WP: Maycie Morgan (4 SO, 1 W)

LP: Ashley Davis (6 SO, 1 W)

HR: None.

Triples: None.

Doubles: (B) Kendra Blizzard.

Multiple hits: (B) Isabella Bruss 3, Natalie Hankins 3, Kendra Blizzard, Lexi Payne.

Records: Bucyrus 0-5, 0-4 N10; Wynford 4-3, 2-2 N10.

Next: Wynford at Bucyrus, Monday.