Kelly squeezes past Oran 1-0

Thursday, September 30, 2010

sd_sports@yahoo.com

ORAN -- After the Kelly Lady Hawks and Oran battled through six scoreless innings Wednesday afternoon, it was the Lady Hawks who came away with the late inning heroics.

With Sydney Vinyard on third with one out in the top of the seventh, Kelly's No. 9 hitter Darbe Backfisch's squeeze attempt came back to pitcher Morgan Todt who relayed to the Oran catcher Amanda Williams, but not in time to stop Vinyard from scoring the go-ahead run.

"Luckily we got the break on that squeeze getting her in," Lady Hawk's coach Melanie Heuring said. "We have to drive that point home with the girls. They have to get their bunts down. Those squeezes count and that's what won the game for us today."

Though the Lady Eagles opened the bottom of the frame getting their lead-off hitter on, she was caught stealing second on a botched bunt attempt followed by two fly outs to end the game.

"That's been an ailment," Oran coach Sara Heisserer said. "Being able to get a bunt in a critical situation when we need it."

Just a few innings earlier, it was the Lady Eagles' defense keeping them in the game.

After Kelly had loaded the bases with two outs, Williams was able to run down a passed ball in time to catch the Lady Hawks lead runner in a run-down between home and third, preventing Kelly from taking the lead.

"We didn't have a good break on that passed ball," Heuring said. "It hit the pole and came right back to Amanda Williams. She had her dead to rights there too."

Only allowing four hits behind an errorless defense, it was Kelly's Kristen Powell who came away with the win. Going all seven innings, Powell allowed four hits while striking out five.

Getting the loss, Oran's Morgan Todt also went the full seven innings allowing the one run on five hits while striking out four.

Leading the charge in Kelly's second one-run victory in as many days, Kristen Vetter was 2-for-3 on the contest with Powell, Jessica Worth and Backfish contributing one hit apiece.

As for Oran, Addie Kielhofner led the Lady Eagles going 2-for-3 with a double. The teams other two hits, both singles, came from Taylor Nenninger and Courtney Scheeter.

Oran (7-11) will host Cape Central at 11 a.m. Saturday while Kelly (14-7) will host Jackson on Monday.

Kelly 000 000 1 -- 1 5 0

Oran 000 000 0 -- 0 4 1

WP--Kristen Powell. LP--Morgan Todt. Multiple hitters--(K) Kristen Vetter 2-3; (O) Addie Kielhofner 2-3. 2B--(K) Jessica Worth; (O) Kielhofner.

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