NORTH ROBINSON — Adjustments were the difference in the rematch of two Northern 10 Athletic Conference softball squads here Wednesday evening.
“We had three or four good practices and we just worked on hitting the outside pitch,” Colonel Crawford head coach Sarah Fraser said after her team topped Upper Sandusky 9-1 at Chuck Huggins Field.
“She (Olivia Gier) rocked us with that pitch that first game, her change-up, her outside drop ball. So that was our adjustment. Everything we did the last four or five days was outside, outside, outside.”
The win avenged a 3-1 N10 loss at Upper Sandusky (14-8, 9-5) a week earlier.
Pitcher Lauren Frietchen had complete command of her game, striking out 11 Lady Rams hitters and issuing a walk. The junior leads the N10 in strikeouts with 164.
The Lady Eagles (17-4, 11-2) started off hot and continued to hit the ball the entire game, plating two runs in the first and adding solo runs in the next three innings before icing it with a four-run fifth inning.
“We weren’t hitting our spots as well as we did in the first game. About the only thing we had going on was a screwball and that was about it,” Upper Sandusky head coach Luke Swavel said.
“I thought they swung at unnecessary balls, in the first game, that were out of the zone. They were much more disciplined this time. They also were able to get the lead-off runner about every time and they tack on, tack on, tack on.”
Sophomore Allison Weithman led off with a single. The shortstop scored on a deep fly to centerfield by Kaylyn Risner.
Nettie Gallant blasted a double to right field to drive in the second run. She added two singles in the game.
Frietchen recorded six strikeouts in the first two frames and the defense played stellar behind her committing no errors. She raises her mark to 16-3.
“She focused in. That girl will go to work. When her defense is backing her 100 percent, it makes her that much better. She’ll dig in and go to work for us,” Fraser said.
Fraser said the season split reflects the balance in the league.
“It just shows that anyone can win at any time. Like if you’re on and they’re not, you’re gonna win and they’re not, and vice versa; as we’ve seen with those top four.”
Only a couple wins separate league leaders Mohawk and Crawford from Upper and Carey.
Risner got her second double to open the fourth inning and came home on a sacrifice fly by Harley Thomas. Thomas leads the N10 with a .507 batting average.
Sophomore Madison Cobb laced a single to right that got her to third with an outfield error and scored on a hit by Hannah Perry that made it 6-1.
The Lady Eagles had 14 hits and the Lady Rams six. Brooke Swavel had a first-inning triple for Upper Sandusky and teammates Payton Kennedy and Logan Kennedy added hits.
A solid win like this comes at a good time with the Division III sectional tournament coming up.
“I told them let’s peak right now and let’s all come together and get it done Friday (vs. Willard) and we got another league game with Carey on Saturday,” Fraser said.
“It’s time to focus in. It’s tough right now with graduation and no school. So, we’re really working on our focus right now with the kids.”
Upper Sandusky faces Huron on Friday.
“It’s nice to get the nice weather and play potentially your best softball at the end of the season and not have to worry about 30-degree wind chill,” Swavel said.
“It’s nice to play a top caliber team and have so many in our league that can sharpen your game and keep you on your toes. If you take an off night, you’ll get beat.”
Fraser also was able to play some younger players in the final couple of innings.
“At this point in the season it’s important to get them involved, even if it’s an at-bat, a courtesy runner or pinch run. They need to feel part of it too and that keeps the team camaraderie up.”
Box score
Upper Sandusky 000 010 0 1 6 3
Colonel Crawford 211 140 X 9 14 0
WP: Lauren Frietchen (11 SO, 1 W)
LP: Olivia Gier (5 SO, 3 W)
HR: None.
Triples: (US) Brooke Swavel.
Doubles: (US) Logan Kennedy; (CC) Kaylyn Risner, Nettie Gallant.
Multiple hits: (CC) Nettie Gallant 3, Hanna Perry 3, Madison Cobb, Allison Weithman.
Records: Upper Sandusky 14-8, 9-5 N10; Colonel Crawford 17-4, 11-2 N10.
Next: Huron at Upper Sandusky, Friday; Willard at Colonel Crawford, Friday.