WEST POINT -The Wildcats broke through the dam.
After two scoreless innings, the Edison softball team erupted for 11 runs in the final three innings en route to an 11-1 win in five innings over Beaver Local Wednesday at West Point Elementary.
With the win, the Wildcats are now 15-9 on the season. The loss dropped the Beavers to 9-15.
Article Photos
Edison’s Kristin Prokopakis reach safely on a bunt single Wednesday against Beaver Local at West Point. (Photo by Aaron?Petchal)
"I thought we did a nice job of being patient and looking for good pitches," Edison head coach Spencer Bendle said. "I thought that was a plus for us today. Both pitchers got a little bit of work in today which was something that we needed to do. We have some girls who have been struggling as of late come around and have some solid at-bats today. They did a nice job for us. Overall, I thought our defense played well, and overall it was a pretty good ballgame."
Zoe Westfall picked up the win for the Wildcats. Westfall struck out five while not walking a batter. She allowed one run on five hits. Mikayla Tice pitched the fifth inning. She struck out one.
Offensively, Trisha Trifonoff finished with a home run, a single and three RBI, Molly McCoy contributed a single and a double and Kasey DellaPenna added a double and an RBI. Also, Natalie Snyder recorded a single and an RBI, Kristin Prokopakis produced two singles and Kayla Prokopakis picked up one single.
Fact Box
Edison 11, Beaver Local 1
ED 003 17- 11 9 0
BL 000 10 - 01 5 2
WP: Zoe Westfall (4ip, 1r, 5h, 5k, 0bb) and Jen Sheets. LP: Miranda Kiddey (5ip, 11r, 9h, 0k, 3bb) and Erika Witherow.
Edison hit the ball better against Beaver Local Wednesday than it did Monday at Oak Glen.
"Much better, we hit the ball much better tonight," Bendle said. "It is just a thing where we have got to get into a groove to where we are starting to see the ball better and make more solid contact consistently. That is what we need to do over the course of our next ballgame or two and then for the tournament on Tuesday."
Miranda Kiddey took the loss for the Beavers. She did not record a strike out while walking three. She allowed 11 runs on nine hits.
Offensively, Kim Rotellini tallied two singles and a run, Deanna Dutch delivered a single, a double and an RBI and Destiny Vishak contributed a single.
The Wildcats broke the scoreless tie by plating three runs in the top of the third. The Wildcats added another run in the fourth to go up 4-0.
Beaver Local got on the scoreboard when Dutch delivered a ground-rule-double in the bottom half of the inning. Rotellini scored on the lay when the ball bounced over the fence in center field.
After the inning, Bendle told his team to get the run back. The Wildcats did more than that. Edison ended up scoring seven runs in the fifth to break the game wide open.
"I think we have got to build on the last two games. We had lost four out of five ballgames. We had the ballgame with Oak Glen which was a step forward. I don't think we played real well, but it was a step forward. I think today was another step or two forward. I think we are looking better this week in terms of defensively and our at bats and we just have to continue to get better here in a short period of time."
Tice retired the Beavers in order in the bottom half of the inning to end the game.
It has been a rough couple of games for the Beavers. Beaver Local played Monday at Poland before taking on Edison.
"Yeah, they play a pretty good schedule, so we knew today they weren't going to be a real pushover or anything like that when we came in here," Bendle said.
"The biggest thing for us is we have got to take care of ourselves. We really don't worry about our opponent as much as we do taking care of ourselves making sure we are focused, having good at-bats, we're fundamentally into the ballgame, mentally out on the field defensively and our pitchers have got to concentrate on the pitch and their location. Those are the things that we have got to concentrate on, and above all we have got to do a better job of baserunning. That is something we have been lacking this year."
The two teams junior varsity squad's also played with the Beavers coming out on top, 5-4, at Jefferson Lake State Park.
Jamie Davis picked up the win for the Beavers. She struck out five, walked two and she allowed four earned runs on seven hits.
Offensively, Haylee Glover recorded a single, two doubles and two RBI, Becky Stoffer finished with a double and an RBI and Davis helped her own cause with a single and an RBI. Also, Paige Prologo produced two singles, and Kaitlyn Gibson contributed a single and two stolen bases.
Tiffany Martin took the loss for the Wildcats. Offensively, Abby Fonow finished with a single and a two-run home run, and Kyli Stewart tallied two singles.
Beaver Local ends the season at 5-4.
