By Catrina Olsen
Resilient, selfless, and confident are the words best used to describe the Keystone Lagrange Wildcats. With a few errors throughout the game, the ladies were able to come back with a 9-3 win to advance to a regional final. After the games, the ladies had nothing to say other than various forms of having their teammates’ backs and being there to pick them up. That is what a team is about, picking each other up.
With three runs scored in the first inning the Wildcats sent a clear message to Napoleon. They were there to play ball. With Sammie Stefan starting the bats off with a triple that brings in Paige Hartley who reached base by a walk. Stefan was then brought in by Madi Cendrosky.
The second inning was short for both teams.
The top of the third was another big inning for the Keystone girls. Starting with Hartley, who reached first by a single. Followed by yet another triple by Stefan. With Stefan on third, Cendrosky hit an RBI double.
“A walk is a hit. Anyway I can get on base, It doesn’t have to be a hit, it can be a walk, it can be hit by a pitch, it can be whater. Whatever it takes to get on base.” Stefan said.
Napoleon scored three runs in the bottom of the third to get back in the ball game. After a few error by Keystone, the Napoleon ladies ran the bases at any chance they had.
Stevie Reiger started off the inning for the Napoleon Wildcats with a double, followed by a slap single by Aubrey Shroyer. Both Reiger and Shroyer were brought in by Megan Richardson with a two-run single. Richardson later scored, thanks to Missy Smith.
Keystone was able to maintain the lead and get out of the inning, as its defense made some big plays to help out senior ace and Iowa commit Lauren Shaw.
“Do whatever you have to do, to pick up the team” outfielder Autumn Acord said. Acord had two sliding catches in right field in the third inning after a few errors in the infield. Acord’s sliding catches helped send a message loud and clear that the inning belonged to Keystone.
“It’s nice having such a good defense like we do. It gives me more confidence.” Cendrosky said about her teammates and her outlook on her batting. With such a strong defense, she felt more comfortable at the plate.
After a quick fourth inning, the fifth inning was yet again another big one for the Keysone Wildcats. With a single from Cendrosky, the bats came alive again. Madi Nunez followed it up with a double and Acord drove them both in with another double.
Shaw went on to finish the complete game and with only a few bloopers, she pulled through another win with her team. Shaw gives credit to her team for their defense.
“Leadership is key with this team.” Said Coach Piazza, that is something that this team has done a great job showing is their leadership through Stefan and Shaw’s action on the field to the cheers from the bench. The senior leadership is one of the biggest reasons Keystone in this position, as the Wildcats advance to face Oak Harbor on Saturday, May 27 at 12 pm at Tiffin for the chance to move on to Columbus.
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