Jacks deal first setback to Cosmos

Girls softball.
http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20150510/SPORTS02/705109989

Published May 10, 2015 in the Rutland Herald Jacks deal first setback to Cosmos By POODY WALSH Correspondent WINDSOR — Windsor pitcher Ashlee Bly is not the type of hurler that is going to strike fear in a batter with her blazing speed, but she knows how to pitch and this week she has used that ability to lead Division III Windsor to victories over three Division II opponents. The last triumph came Saturday when she two-hit undefeated and top-ranked Springfield 4-1. Bly started the week out with a 1-0 win over Hartford then hung in there as the Yellow Jackets rolled to a 14-8 win over Mill River. “She’s gaining confidence,” said her coach, Phil Hathorn. Springfield came into the game with a 6-0 mark and just couldn’t put anything together as they had just two singles while four other girls walked. “I’m a location pitcher,” explained Bly. “I was getting the outside call today and I kept trying that and it worked. I also had some success with pitches up in the strike zone.” Windsor, now 4-2, also got some help from a soccer goalie who hasn’t played softball since the fourth grade and cat-like third baseman in Ashleay Wilcox. The goalie, a second baseman now on the softball team, Becca Rumrill, squelched a possible rally in the Springfield third when the Cosmos had a runner on second and one out when Lina Geyer hit a looper between the mound and the second base bag that Rumrill caught as she landed on her belly, popped up and tagged out the runner trying to get back to second for an unassisted double play. Then in the fourth inning Springfield loaded the bases with no outs. After short fly to right for the first out, Springfield went to the bunt with the speedy Chelsea McAllister at third and Maygan Daly at the plate. However, as soon as the bunt went down Wilcox snared it on the run and flipped it home to just get McAllister. “I didn’t think we had a chance on that play,” said Hathorn. “She’s so fluid,” he said of Wilcox. “We’ve been in games where we’ve had teams get bases loaded against us and not score,” said Springfield coach Andy Bladyka. “Now it happened to us.” Springfield is a Division II team, but because of its past successes has been handed an A Division Marble Valley League schedule. It is also a team that lost six starters and four players who started for four years. Consequently, the Cosmos have been surprisingly effective and came into the game with four straight one-run wins behind the pitching of Jade Twombly who effective again (91 pitches, nine strikeouts, four walks, eight hits) Saturday. “Our schedule is tough,” said Bladyka. “We’ve been fortunate to win a lot of close games. Today it was Windsor that got the hits when they counted.” One streak that Springfield did keep going is that in all seven games this season the Cosmos have never given up more than four runs and they have two shutouts. After Windsor left runners on second and third in the first inning the Jacks broke through with a pair of runs in the third inning, ignited by No. 9 (two-for-three) batter Erin Wierzbicki who started the inning off by reaching on an infield single. She was sacrificed to second by Wilcox and was still their when Haley Wood popped up for the second out. Then came Emily Anderson who smoked a triple to right-center, tallying Wierzbicki. Rumrill followed with a single to left and it was 2-0. Springfield scored its only run in the seventh on a walk, a single by pinch hitter Aunna Parker and two infield outs. Windsor added the third run in the fifth when Wilcox singled, stole second and scored on Brianna Wright’s base knock. In the sixth Wood drove in the fourth run as she delivered Wierzbicki who had singled and moved to second on a walk to Wilcox. “We were missing two kids today, but others stepped up,” said Hathorn. “I think the kids are starting to believe in themselves.” Windsor goes to Otter Valley on Monday while Springfield has a 7 p.m. home game with Green Mountain, also on Monday.