By Dan Messerschmidt

CCN Sports Director

BUCYRUS — On Thursday, Colonel Crawford and Bucyrus met on the softball diamond for the second day in a row.

The result of the second meeting was decidedly different than the first, a 1-0 pitcher’s duel in favor of the Lady Redmen.

Caitlin Koschnick hit a grand slam in the first inning and Sydney Studer limited Bucyrus to one hit as the Lady Eagles rolled to a 12-2 Northern 10 Athletic Conference victory, in five innings, to split the two-game season series between two storied softball programs.

“I’m going to be honest, (Wednesday) stung a little bit,” Colonel Crawford coach Chuck Huggins said. “It was an excellently played ballgame, but the bottom line is we came up one run short on the scoreboard. So, it’s been a little bit of a long 24 hours.”

The Eagles wasted no time in venting their frustration. With one out, Karli Kurtzman drew a walk, Studer singled and Lydia Strouse walked. Koschnick then ripped a line drive to left field through gusting winds to make it 4-0 before Bucyrus (6-3, 4-2 N10) even came to the plate.

“I’m not making excuses for our team but they’re young kids and I think maybe we were still celebrating (Wednesday’s) win and thought we’re better than we are,” Bucyrus coach Jerry Hargis said. “We’ve got to learn, as a group, that every day’s a new day. You’re not that good, you’re not that bad. You’ve just got to play every day.”

Studer helped her own cause by doubling in two runs in a 3-run second for Colonel Crawford (9-4, 5-4) and that was more than enough for the veteran pitcher.

“The thing I liked about our approach tonight was it wasn’t just one or two players doing the job for us offensively,” Huggins said. “We scored 12 runs on 10 hits and that came from throughout the lineup. For us to be at the top of our game, we need that.”

Seven of the nine Eagles’ batters hit safely at least once and six of the nine scored runs. Only in the third were there no Colonel Crawford base runners.

On the other side, Studer retired the first nine Lady Red hitters she faced. Bucyrus got its only hit, a single by Alexis Dye, in the fourth. Studer also temporarily lost the strike zone and walked three batters. Throw in a wild pitch and the Lady Redmen scored their two runs.

“Sydney’s a good pitcher, that’s why she is able to pitch every night,” Hargis said. “She’s a smart pitcher, she moves the ball around and doesn’t overthrow the ball a lot. She’s been pitching four years, has been all league the first three and probably will be this year.”

The Eagles tacked on three runs in the fourth on a walk, two errors and the big blow of the inning, an RBI double by Ashton Hoepf.

Koschnick led the Colonel Crawford attack with three hits, including the grand slam, and five runs batted in. Studer had two hits with a double and four runs scored. Hoepf doubled, while Danielle Horsley, Karissa Rowlinson, Jensyn Fredritz and Kurtzman singled.

Studer went the distance in the circle, striking out four and walking four.

“The whole thing for Sydney is just to relax, be smooth and for two nights now, she’s been able to do that,” Huggins said. “She’s very, very confident in her defense behind her. She knows they’re going to make plays.”

Dye struggled with her control early and ended up walking five and striking out four. And of the 12 runs she gave up, only eight were earned thanks to four Bucyrus errors. Caleigh Rister and Dye scored the only two runs for the Redmen.

“I thought Colonel Crawford played well,” Hargis said. “Their batters rebounded and did a nice job.”

“It’s amazing the difference 24 hours can make,” Huggins said. “This is a very, very good road win. We know what it takes every night to get the job done. We came in here and won a game between two very proud programs.”

“I’m proud of our program, I’m proud of our kids and the way they work,” Hargis said. “We’re doing a good job. We’ve just got to grow up.”

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Colonel Crawford   430 32X X      12   10   0

Bucyrus                    000 20X X        2     1    4

WP: Sydney Studer (4 SO, 4 W)

LP: Alexis Dye (4 SO, 5 W)

HR: (CC) Caitlin Koschnick (GS 1st inning).

Triples: None.

Doubles: (CC) Sydney Studer, Ashton Hoepf.

Multiple hits: (CC) Caitlin Koschnick 3, Sydney Studer.

Records: Colonel Crawford (9-4, 5-4 N10); Bucyrus 6-3 (4-2 N10).

Next: Colonel Crawford at Ridgedale, Friday; Upper Sandusky at Bucyrus, Friday.