Kayla Sedgwick of North Union watches her hit fly high into the outfield during a game against West Jefferson Thursday. The Lady Cats scored a 7-6 come-from-behind victory in nine innings. (Journal-Tribune photo by Sam Dillon)
On a cold, wind-swept field in Richwood the North Union softball team played Central District rival West Jefferson on Thursday.
The temperature made its presence felt during in a game that produced nine errors.
Despite the sloppy defensive play, the Lady Cats won, 7-6, in nine innings.
NU coach Dawn Draper said the game may not have looked pretty, but a win is a win.
“I don’t care if we win in nine innings or five innings, if we win by one or 12,” she said. “It is still a ‘W’. It doesn’t matter what it looks like.
“Let’s get rid of the errors and get back to our game.”
Draper called on Reese DeCamp to take the circle.
She kept the Lady Rough Riders in check through the first three innings by sitting them down in order.
NU tallied a few hits in the opening two frames.
It was in the third, however, where the Cats plated the first run of the game.
Kayla Sedgwick led off with a double, while Regan Martino laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Sedgwick to third.
Kennedy Ruhl hit a ball up the middle of the infield for an RBI single.
West Jefferson responded, thanks to a pair of back-to-back NU errors.
Those allowed West Jeff to knot the contest at 1-1.
Despite the tied game, Draper said her starting pitcher performed well.
“I thought Reese pitched well, but we had too many errors,” she said.
North Union took advantage of WJ errors in the bottom half of the fourth.
Bailee Amstutz found first on an errant throw.
Jada Davis took a pitch on the knee that put runners on first and second.
Draper called in a small-ball play.
Candace Halloway laid down a sacrifice bunt to move runners into scoring position. DeCamp also followed with a bunt.
Draper sent Amstutz home and when the Rough Riders’ threw to first for the force out, Draper waved Davis home to give NU a 3-1 lead.
West Jeff chipped chip away at the spread when Amstutz took the rubber in the sixth inning.
NU committed a pair of errors that allowed West Jefferson to score one run.
The Cats repeated the error in the top of the seventh, allowing WJ to tie the game at 3-3 in the seventh.
Draper said the cold temperature played havoc on her infield.
“We haven’t played in two days,” she said. “Last Saturday, I thought we peaked with close wins and then Mother Nature throws a curve.
“You can’t change it, everybody has to deal with and either you play in the cold or you’re not playing.”
Despite the cold, West Jefferson had hot bats in the top of the eighth inning when they stung Amstutz for three runs and a 6-3 lead.
NU was not to be out-done when it answered with three runs in the bottom of the eighth.
DeCamp drove in a pair of runs.
Sedgwick got in on the action with a single to the grass that drove in the tying run, 6-6, to push the game to a ninth inning.
Draper called on DeCamp to return to the circle.
It was a move that ultimately paid dividends.
“I think Reese scoring two got her back into the game mentally,” said the coach. “I think it was a good call to put her back into the circle.
“We have been calling on Bailee a lot to really help us out,” she said. “We didn’t want to show them a lot, but we wanted to take the ‘W,’”
DeCamp held the Rough Riders in the top of the ninth giving NU a chance at the win.
Cagney Stewart found first on a shot to third base that was mishandled.
Amstutz put down a bunt to move the runner .
The Rough Riders went to make the throw to second base for the force out.
The ball, though, fell to the short stop’s feet and Stewart took off for third base. Stewart made a slide outside of the tag to take third.
Draper said aggressive base running is what Stewart does well.
“I don’t have to tell her (to run), usually I have to tell her to stop,” she said. “She knew she could win this ball game.
“She has great speed and we happened to be at the right place in the lineup.”
With some injuries in the roster, Draper called on freshman pinch-hitter Ryleigh Rasey.
She put a bunt down the first base line.
Draper had a squeeze play called that sent Stewart to the plate on contact.
West Jefferson was able to get a throw home, but the ball fell from the catcher’s glove as NU won the game.
Draper said she knew Rasey was the right player for the situation.
“I knew we had a good runner at third and I know Ryleigh has been practicing,” Draper said. “She deserved an opportunity like that and she pulled through.”
The victory moves North Union to 11-4 for the season. The Lady Cats are scheduled to return to action today at Bellefontaine.
WJ 000 101 130 6 8 3
NU 001 200 031 7 9 6
WP-DeCamp
LP- Mannin