Softball
EATON RAPIDS – Two big innings by Eaton Rapids at the plate and a big inning from pitcher Shelby Steele as Mason tried to rally was the difference in a Division 2 district opener on Tuesday.
The Greyhounds defeated the Bulldogs 9-4, scoring four runs in the third and five in the fifth to put aside an early deficit.
“I felt like we were a little bit sloppy defensively and we’ve definitely got to be more sound than that, but they had a few miscues themselves,” Eaton Rapids coach Scott Warriner said. “Didn’t think we hit the ball as well as we needed to but fortunately we had a couple innings where we separated ourselves from them.”
The Greyhounds (29-7) will play Charlotte in a Division 2 district semifinal at 10 a.m. on Saturday at Eaton Rapids High School.
An RBI single by Cierra Caudill followed a double by Autumn Kissman and provided the Bulldogs (15-15) with the game’s first run.
Eaton Rapids immediately answered, with a fielder’s choice from McKenzie Anderson tying the game and senior Amanda Prieskorn punctuating the four-run frame with a double that scored two runs.
Mason chipped away with runs in the bottom of the third and fourth to get within one, but the Greyhounds scored five more runs in the top of the fifth, all with two outs.
Senior Breeanna Whalen started the rally with a two-RBI single.
Mason rallied by loading the bases in the bottom half, but Steele recorded three strikeouts to end the inning and had 11 for the game.
“It was about being a leader on the field and keeping everybody calm to make sure we got those outs,” Steele said. “I was able to really pitch outside more and get a lot of strikeouts out there.”
“We got out of a couple tight jams,” Warriner said. “I was impressed that Shelby was able to knuckle down and get three straight strikeouts. She was kind of our steadying force because our defense wasn’t really what it can be.”
Mason added another run in the bottom of the sixth with an RBI single from Kesondra Gutkowski, but could not match Eaton Rapids with the big inning.
“We kind of struggled coming up with the timely hit to push those runs across the plate,” Mason coach Casei Marlan said. “But one thing about my team all year is that I’ve never really counted them out. … I was very pleased with what we did this year. I think that they have overachieved at times and worked hard. We got invited to the (Softball) Classic and that’s always a goal and they achieved it and did it with little returning experience.”