Bush helps Golden Eagles defeat Tigers
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MARIETTA -- Belpre sophomore Kaitlen Bush helped helped her team with her bat, her glove and her legs in Thursday afternoon's 5-2 win over the Marietta Tigers at Phillips Field.
Bush smacked a pair of doubles, made a spectacular over-the-shoulder catch that turned into a pivotal double play and stole a run for her team with some aggressive base running as the Eagles climbed over the .500 mark with their 12th win of the season against 11 losses.
"She is a key player for us and when she has a good night the girls feed off of her," said Belpre head coach Stephanie Evans. "She is the type of girl who can carry us on her shoulders and her energy is contagious."
The Tigers used a little two-out lightning in the opening inning to jump out to an early 1-0 lead off of Belpre starting pitcher Alyssa Hutchinson.
After the first two Tiger hitters were retired, Maya Farley, Trista Stanley and Tori Schilling collected consecutive singles to stake Marietta starting pitcher Julia Hartline to the early lead.
Hartline allowed just one Belpre base hit over the first two innings before running into trouble in the top of the third.
Emma Hodgson was hit by a pitch to open the inning and moved to second on the first of what would be a three-hit game for Belpre junior Maddie Sprigg.
Lead-off hitter Dekotah Lemon followed with a double to the gap into right-center field to score both runners and give the Eagles a 2-1 lead.
Hutchinson drew a walk and Bush followed with a double to score Lemon with the third run of the inning.
Marietta head coach Jon Doughty elected to replace Hartline on the mound with Rhylen Tucker and the Tiger junior did an outstanding job of minimizing the damage as she retired the next three Belpre hitters with only one more run crossing the plate on an infield ground out off the bat of Taylor Parker.
Belpre increased their lead to 5-1 in the top of the fifth when Bush doubled off the fence in right center field and later scored all the way from second on an error by the Tiger infield.
After giving up the solo run in the first, Hutchinson blanked the Tigers over the next three innings before running into a bit of trouble in the fifth when MHS scored their second run.
Shortstop Maddi Scharff led off the inning with a single and later scored on Farley's second hit of the game.
The Tigers got their lead-off runner on base once again in the sixth but saw any chances of a rally ended when Bush robbed Tucker of a base hit as she raced out to the outfield with her back to the field and somehow made a spectacular over the shoulder catch and then quickly fired the ball to Halee Williams at first base for an inning-ending double play.
Marietta threatened once again in the bottom of the seventh when Scharff singled and Avery Law reached on an error but Hutchinson recovered to retire the next three Tiger batters in order to secure the win for the Eagles.
Doughty thought his team played good enough to win but were unable to come up with the big play when they needed it.
"We've struggled all year giving runs up but tonight I felt like Belpre had to earn this one," said Doughty, whose Tigers slipped to 1-21 with the loss. "We had one or two base runners on about every inning we just struggled to come up with that big hit."
Hutchinson scattered nine base hits while not walking a single batter and fanning five to get the win, while Hartline took the loss.
"She (Hutchinson) is getting stronger every game," said Evans. "We have had a couple of rain outs this week and for having two nights off I thought she did a great job on the mound."
Marietta will be right back in action today when they host Trimble while the Golden Eagles travel to Nelsonville York Saturday for a make-up game.