Cosmos make quick work of rebuilding Wasps

Hannah Crosby not only gets the ball to the plate in rapid fashion, but she can back off just enough to get the opposition off-balance. During Tuesday’s five-inning mercy-rule game, Crosby — a junior who has been starting for three seasons — allowed just one hit (a bunt single) with nine strikeouts and one walk.

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Cosmos Make Quick Work of Rebuilding Wasps By Poody Walsh Valley News Correspondent Tuesday, May 29, 2018 Woodstock High VPA softball. Poody Walsh Springfield, Vt. — Putting a competitive softball team on the field has been no easy task for Woodstock Union High sixth-year coach Jane Hoisington. The situation looked pretty good when the Wasps went 9-6 a year ago, but graduation and defections this season left Woodstock with one returning starter, third baseman Emma Walker. As a result, Woodstock dropped its first 10 games before her young players matured, and they won four of their last six. However, while that blend of youth and inexperience might have worked in some situations during the tail end of the spring, it wasn’t going to work against the likes of Springfield veteran hurler Hannah Crosby in the first round of the VPA Division II tournament on Tuesday. The host Cosmos coasted to a 19-0 win in the sun at Bill Robinson Field. Crosby not only gets the ball to the plate in rapid fashion, but she can back off just enough to get the opposition off-balance. During Tuesday’s five-inning mercy-rule game, Crosby — a junior who has been starting for three seasons — allowed just one hit (a bunt single) with nine strikeouts and one walk. “I’m glad her pitch count (83) was down,” said her coach, Andy Bladyka. Bladyka was happy because Springfield’s next opponent will be fourth-seeded Enosburg Falls, which outscored No. 13 Rice on Tuesday, 24-9, in six innings. Springfield, the fifth seed (12-5), will make the long trek north on Friday. Perhaps the lack of veteran players was most felt on defense, as the Wasps had seven errors as well as several mental mistakes that were costly. “This is something we can build on,” Hoisington said. “We had a lot of sophomores out there today, including our pitcher (Lizzie Peck). I’m not discouraged.” Woodstock, the 12th seed, finished the season at 5-12. Peck ended up throwing 125 pitches in four innings. She gave up 11 hits with 10 walks. Crosby got the side in order in four innings. In the fourth, a Peck bunt single and a walk to Kennedy Moore put two runners on, but Crosby got an infield bouncer with two outs to close out the inning. “We did a lot of things right today,” said Bladyka, who noted his defense, which played errorless ball. “We pitched well, hit well and picked up the ball on defense. Let’s hope it continues.” Crosby, in addition to being the winning pitcher, had three hits, including a home run and a double, and drove in four runs. Springfield, which because of its past success plays a tough Marble Valley League regular-season schedule, took control of the game in the first inning by scoring seven times. The Cosmos added two more in the second and third innings and dropped an eight-spot in the fourth. Peck started the game by getting the leadoff Springfield batter, but an error started things for Springfield, which got four straight hits, including doubles from Mykahla Jasinski and freshman Molly Leonard, and it was quickly 7-0. Two unearned runs came across in the second and Crosby’s homer to left came with Ashley Chamberlin aboard in the third. Chamberlin came to bat in the fourth with the bases loaded, and her single to the outfield scooted by the defenders and cleared the bases.