WAVERLY TOPS OWEGO IN 8 INNINGS IN MUST-WIN GAME
By: Tim Taylor | WaverlyAthletics.com | June 5, 2021 | Photo courtesy Tim Taylor
WAVERLY — Heading into the weekend, it appeared the Waverly softball
team would need a victory to qualify for the Section IV Class B
tournament.
For six innings, the Wolverines had it, then they lost it. However, the
hosts would battle back to send the game into extra innings and finally
nip Owego, 3-2, in eight innings here Saturday.
"I think that shows a sign of a good team for moving ahead in
sectionals," Waverly coach Brian Wendela said. "I think a lot of it had
to do with playing Maine-Endwell last night in a tough game, turning
around in the heat again.
"I think we got a little fatigued, a little flat, but they didn't give
up. Our pitcher, (Hali) Jenner, pitched a hell of a game and the girls
kept battling. I liked our chances there at the end."
Owego appeared to suffer as well as a schedule which had the Indians
playing 12 games in the past 26 days, appeared to show as the Indians
looked a little flat throughout the contest.
"I felt we were flat from the start from the very first pitch of the
game," Owego coach Brent Doane said. "We just didn't have a lot of
energy, a lot of life, and we couldn't seem to generate either as the
game got going along until the very end when we finally scored those
couple of runs late to try to get ahead.
"We finally got a little bit of momentum going, a little bit of energy,
and then it was quickly squashed and allowed them back into the game.
Waverly would fall behind, 2-1, in the top of the eight, but was able to
regroup in the bottom of the inning to pull out the win.
Michaela Lauper would lead off with a double to left center field to
start the comeback and score while Sydney Tomasso was hit in the head by
the throw after laying down a bunt single. Tomasso shook it off,
advanced on an Olivia Robinson sacrifice, bunt then score the
game-winning run on an Aubrey Ennis base hit.
The bunts were key to securing the victory.
"We talked about that prior to the game, that we needed to play some
small ball," Wendela said. " It was just tough getting some runners on.
We had a couple bad bunts beginning of the game and we made adjustments,
and we did a good job of putting it in play and making them try to get
us out and fortunately they weren't able to."
At the top of the inning, the Indians' Macy Gibson was hit by a pitch,
but would get caught in a rundown. She slipped trying to get back to
first on a pickoff attempt, but made it safely to second when the second
baseman dropped the throw from the first baseman.
With one away, Emma Howe blooped a single behind first base and Jordan
Greeno bunted safely, and the duo would advance to third and second,
respectively. Alex Aubel would lay down a sacrifice bunt, but Howe would
get thrown out attempting to score. Jenner would retire the next batter
on a ground out.
Owego tied the game in the seventh when Taylor Dalton reached on a
fielder's choice, moved to third on a passed ball after Aubel walked and
scored on Sarah Terry's infield single.
The Indians would leave the bases loaded, however, giving them nine base runners stranded in scoring position for the game.
"It was a tough day," Doane said. "That was one of the things we talked
about in post-game. We got runners on base and we're taking pitches,
we're missing pitches. We've got to be able to capitalize there, whether
it's getting the bunt down or making contact with the ball and putting
it in play on the right side with the runners, we just didn't get the
job done."
"I think they had a couple mental lapses on their base-running and I
think we did a good job of making the outs, making sure they were simple
outs and doing a good job of taking care of the ball," Wendela said.
Waverly would grab the early lead as Sydney Tomasso was hit by a pitch
in the first. She would advance on a Robinson single to shallow center
field and an Aubrey Ennis sacrifice fly to center, then score when an
Owego pick-off attempt at second went awry.
The Indians left runners at second base in the second, third and fourth
innings. Waverly's Olivia Robinson was stranded at third in the third
after her booming triple took Owego center fielder Maddie Bennett
tumbling over the fence and the Wolverines left a runner at second in
the fourth.
Both pitchers retired five batters in a row in the fourth and fifth
innings, then the Indians would strand four more runners in scoring
position by game's end while Waverly left two hanging.
Owego had five hits through seven innings and finished the game with
seven. Waverly had four hits in regulation and three more in the extra
inning. Jenner struck out four and walked three while Lauren Gilbert
fanned eight and walked one. Only one of the Wolverines' runs was
earned. Both pitchers scattered seven hits.
Waverly now awaits its postseason fate.
"It's not 100 percent, but I'm pretty sure that's a ticket into the
sectionals," Wendela said of the win. "We'll see what happens."
The Indians had qualified for sectionals before the game and are anxious to see who their opponent will be.
