Lexi McCrory makes an out at first against Coquille. GINI DAVIS – THE CRESWELL CHRONICLE
After a couple weeks’ dry spell, the Lady Bulldogs got back in the softball win column last week, edging visiting Coquille 12-10 on April 23 thanks to some timely hitting and a sixth-inning, three-run homer by pitcher Destiney Black.
Black went 4-for-4 with six RBIs and a run – but she wasn’t the only Lady Dawg smacking hits. Despite battling illness, Morgan Janshen went 3-for-4 with a double, two RBIs and three runs. Kelsey Kuhnhausen went 3-for-4 with a double, two RBIs and a run; Lexi McCrory went 2-for-4 with two doubles and a run; Hallie Drago went 2-for-5 with an RBI and two runs; and Aubrie Hatch went 1-for-2 with three runs.
”Most of our at-bats were productive; we moved baserunners up with our outs,” said Coach Brett Giles. ”We also hit the ball hard; there wasn’t a lot of dinking and dunking.”
On defense, ”We had too many errors – most of which were from a lack of concentration,” Giles noted. ”But we also made a number of good plays.”
Creswell led 3-1 after one and 7-4 after four. But Coquille closed to 6-7 in the top of the fifth before the Bulldogs added another run in the bottom of the inning. Creswell scored four more in the sixth for a 12-7 advantage, but the Red Devils refused to go away, scoring three more in the seventh – all with two outs.
In earning the win, Black gave up 10 runs (seven earned) on 12 hits, struck out six and walked five.
”It was a good win,” Giles said.
At La Pine on April 23, Creswell fell 5-12. The Lady Dawgs were short three starters, who were traveling for a band competition. ”As you would expect, missing your starting second baseman, shortstop and third baseman, things were a little rough fielding the ball and hitting,” Giles said.
Creswell gave up six runs in the first and trailed 2-11 after the fourth but scored three runs in the fifth to stay alive.
Janshen went 2-for-4 with a double and two runs; Gracelyn Ehrich went 3-for-4 with two RBIs; Kuhnhausen went 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs; and McCrory went 1-for-3 with a double, an RBI and a run.
Black gave up 13 earned runs on eight hits, struck out eight and walked five.
”We never really got on track, offensively or defensively,” Giles said.
A game scheduled for April 27 at Pleasant Hill was rained out and will be played this week.
