Hall bus makes it OK, but Lady Dogs' defense breaks down

Third base proved to be the meeting of the minds as Ohio third baseman Kaurie Johnson (left) falls one way and Hall's Eden Stachowiak the other. Stachowiak got to the bag safely, but did not score.(BCR photo/Kevin Hieronymus)

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OHIO — Pete Kasperski was begin to wonder if the Lady Red Devils team bus was going to make it to Ohio and back Monday when the radiator lights started to flash on bus on the way over and the horn beginning to honk on and off on the idle bus as the game started.

Ohio coach Max Kirbach had the same feeling about his team’s defense as Kasperski did with the bus — except his defense did break down.

The Lady Devils collected nine hits, but more importantly benefited from 11 Ohio errors to wrap up the nonconference Bureau County contest 11-1 in five innings. Nine of the 11 Hall runs were unearned, including three in the first inning with the help of three Ohio errors.

“We looked at the books and I think it was 10 earned runs. Should have been a one-run ballgame if you take the away the errors,” Kirbach said. “We do hang in there. The bats made some contacts. We’re coming around, just need to play better defense.”

“If they make some plays, it’s a tighter game,” Kasperski said. “We didn’t hit the cover off the ball. Couple girls had some nice hits. I was happy with our defense, because I don’t think she (Hall pitcher Brittney Forney) had a lot of strikeouts.”

Marissa Bland made the most of her first start of the season for Hall, belting a ball past the center fielder to lead off the second inning. When Ohio missed the cut-off throw, Kasperski wheeled Bland around home to make it 4-0.

Nicole Kruse followed with a single and scoring on a throwing error. Sara Smoode doubled and scored on a dropped fly to left that would have been a sac fly.

Hall scored two more runs to go up 8-0 in the second and tacked on a pair with three more Ohio errors in the fourth.

The Lady Dogs broke through against Hall pitcher Brittney Forney in the fourth. Courtney Loomis stroked a one-out single to right and stole second. Kaurie Johnson blooped a single to left to send Loomis to third. Tiffany Urban lined to right field and beat out the throw to first base to bring home Loomis.

Kasperski did his best to manufacture a run in the top of the fifth inning to put the 10-run rule into effect.

Cally Kowalski singled to right center, stole second and then swiped third with a headfirst slide just ahead of the peg by Loomis, the Ohio catcher. Kasperski gave pinch-hitter Carly Prokup the bunt sign, but she missed connections. She swung and missed  on the third strike in the dirt, and when Loomis threw to first for the out, Kowalski waltzed home with Hall’s 11th run.

Forney pitched all five innings, striking out eight while allowing four hits and no walks.

Kasperski told the girls, “let’s go home, if we can make it there.”

Phalen surrendered nine hits, but just two earned runs with three strikeouts.

Notes: The Lady Devils will try for the third time to get in their game with Princeton on Tuesday. The teams will now meet in Spring Valley to resume the suspended game in the third inning and before they start their regularly scheduled game.

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