Harley kickstarts Devils
PREP SOFTBALLBy Dave Feltner, Sports Editor, dfeltner@advertiser-tribune.com
Fact Box
Carey 4, St. Wendelin 0St. Wendelin (17-5, 7-2): Lauren Geroski 3-0-0-0; Chelcie Rutter 3-0-1-0; Lindsay Schiefer 3-0-0-0; Dani Papenfus 3-0-0-0; Cassi Papenfus 3-0-0-0; Jordan Geroski 2-0-0-0; Taylor Burns 2-0-0-0; Katelyn Schiefer 2-0-0-0; Francena Tate 2-0-0-0; Caitlin Bosak 0-0-0-0. Totals: 23-0-1-0.
Carey (14-6, 6-2): Courtney Holsinger 3-1-0-0; Paige Strahm 3-0-1-1; Autumn Harley 1-0-0-0; Tessa Kelbley 0-1-0-0; Lacie Sherman 3-1-1-0; Amanda Ellis 3-0-0-0; Morgan Draper 3-0-1-2; Jana Kemerley 2-0-0-0; Ashley Mathias 1-0-0-0; Megan Nalle 1-0-0-0; Heidi Allen 0-1-0-0; Lynae Sammons 1-0-0-0; Lindsay Bash 1-0-0-0; Jackie Brezina 0-0-0-0. Totals: 22-4-3-3.
St. Wendelin 000 000 0 — 0
Carey 002 002 x — 2
WP — Harley (9-3). LP — Rutter (11-2).
Wednesday afternoon, the Blue Devils manipulated the heck out of their fate.
Autumn Harley twirled her second one-hitter in a row against one of the league’s top offenses, this time picking up the win during a 4-0 triumph of St. Wendelin that leaves five teams tied for first place.
“The thing with the Mohawk game — and I’m not taking anything away from them — but some of our girls hadn’t played in a week-and-a-half, and all of them hadn’t played in a week and some change. So I thought we came out a little rusty, and it doesn’t help when you don’t see pitching for a week, and you come out and see [Jackie] Messersmith. Defensively and pitching-wise we’re getting what we need. We just need to get our bats going.”
The Blue Devils didn’t exactly smash the ball all over the park, but they outhit the Mohawks, who started the week with a .335 team batting average.
Two of Carey’s three hits plated three of its four runs. After Megan Nalle scored from second on an error, Paige Strahm delivered an RBI single to score Courtney Holsinger for a 2-0 lead in the third inning.
That score remained until the bottom of the sixth when Harley worked a one-out walk, and Lacie Sherman followed with a single. They came home when Morgan Draper shot a two-out single up the middle. That was a killer blow to St. Wendelin (17-5 overall, 7-2 MAL) considering the events in the top of the inning.
The Mohawks got a gift when Francena Tate reached first after strike three went to the backstop with one out. Losing pitcher Chelcie Rutter (11-2) followed with a two-out single and took second on defensive indifference. A hit could have tied the game, but Harley got No. 3 batter Lindsay Schiefer to pop up.
“We played terrible, and that’s pretty much it,” said St. Wendelin coach Theresa Webb, whose team was trying to capture is first league title since 1989. “I was disappointed in our effort, and I was disappointed in what we did.”
A lot of that had to do with Harley and the Blue Devil (14-6, 6-2) defense. Harley (9-3) struck out eight, and on a particularly windy day, the Mohawks’ lined a handful of loud outfield outs, but Carey made only one error.
“I was really disappointed [after the Mohawk game],” Harley said. “I was hoping we would beat them for once. That was my goal my whole softball career, so I was really upset after that.
“Today when I came home from school, my Mom read me an article from the paper about [how] it was Autumn Harley and Jackie Messersmith in a pitching dual, and how (Messersmith) won the battle. So ... I was pretty pumped to win today.”
The MAL has Carey, Mohawk, New Riegel and St. Wendelin tied at 7-2. Carey is 6-2 and North Baltimore 5-2.
