Belpre softball falls to Nelsonville-York
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BELPRE -- Nelsonville-York had Belpre's number this season.
Thursday afternoon, the Buckeyes broke a 4-4 tie with one run in the top of the seventh inning and snapped the Golden Eagles' 11-game winning streak with a 5-4 victory.
In Belpre's second game of the season, the two schools hooked up with N-Y pulling off a 6-2 victory. At that point of the regular season, the Golden Eagles were fighting the injury bug and experiencing fielding issues while opening the season with just one win in their first five games.
On Thursday, Belpre delivered its share of moxie after falling behind 4-0, so in her postgame comments coach Stephanie Evans stated it's just a matter of hitting the reset button.
"That was a good game leading into the tournament -- it gives us some focal points over the next two weeks leading up to sectional play," said the coach.
"We have sectional seeding this weekend, so we need games like this. You have Notre Dame. They are 13-1. We are 12-5, then there is four or five teams all with 10 wins each. So the top one through six, you just roll the dice."
With a heavy dose of Kaitlen Bush working her defensive magic at shortstop and going 3-for-4 with a triple and two runs scored, Belpre freshman Makayla Carmichael nearly willed the Golden Eagles to a victory.
Carmichael entered the game in relief in the top of the third inning and allowed just one run on two hits while throwing the final five innings. She walked one while striking out six.
One day after breaking Bush's single-season home run record at Belpre High School, Carmichael added another four-bagger with a two-run shot against N-Y which cleared the right field fence and provided the first spark for Belpre in the home half of the the inning.
"Nobody really told me about the home run record until I got home then they told me today at the game," said Carmichael, who upped her home run total to 10 this season. "It was nice to hear it."
With N-Y maintaining a 4-2 lead in the bottom of the fifth inning, N-Y pitcher Ryleigh Giffin retired the first two batters before Bush laced a Giffin offering over the right fielder's head for a stand-up triple.
"I did watch Kaitlen on defense -- she is a huge part of our team," Evans said. "Take her out of our lineup and it's a huge difference."
Carmichael was walked intentionally then advanced to second on catcher's indifference.
"We did a lot of work in preseason with strength and conditioning back in November and through the winter -- you can see it paying off," Evans said. "We knew Makayla was going to be a huge asset. We watched her play in junior high and travel ball. We were excited for her to be moving up, and joining an already solid team.
"Earlier in the year, you would never know she was even a freshman."
Maggie Johnson then stepped to the plate and hit a sharp grounder to the first baseman. The fielder raced to the bag, but just as she about to step on the bag, Johnson jarred the ball loose. The error allowed both Bush and Carmichael to score and tie the game at 4.
Carmichael reached a string of retiring seven straight batters heading into the seventh inning. N-Y broke that string when Trinity Shockey drew a lead-off walk. On the very next pitch, Carmichael's pitch scooted through the catcher for a two-base wild pitch. Brooklyn Garrity took advantage of the runner in scoring position with a base hit back through the middle.
After Shockey scored the eventual game-winner, Carmichael limited the damage by setting down the next three hitters.
Her counterpart, however, was up to the task and ended the complete-game effort by retiring the final seven batters she faced -- including the final three in the seventh on a strikeout and a pair of infield groundouts.
Aside from the combination of Bush and Carmichael, the Belpre lineup did not have another hit and struck out nine times.
"We just didn't have any help for Kaitlen and Makayla -- tonight was just an off night and we were a little flat," Evans said. "We had a slump offensively tonight, but we are all right. We knew (N-Y) was a tough team. They played us tough the first time we played them.
"They have had a solid season. They have great pitching -- she puts nice spin on the ball and hits her spots."
N-Y improves to 12-7. The Buckeyes outhit Belpre 5-4 thanks to Gerrity's 2-for-2 effort with a double, run scored and one RBI. Griffin finished with two hits after going 1-for-3 at the plate with a sacrifice fly. Shockey scored three runs.
Belpre starting pitcher Carrissa Sprigg received a no-decision after going two innings, allowing four runs on three hits.
Contact Kerry Patrick at kpatrick@newsandsentinel.com