Richlands softball loses heartbreaker to Edenton Holmes
The Richlands softball team went into the bottom of the seventh inning with the lead in the third-round state 2-A game on Tuesday, May 25, but a leaky defense let Edenton Holmes escape with a 4-3 home win.
“We did not execute on some routine plays and this again allowed the game to be tied,” said Wildcat Coach Jay Fields. “ With a runner on second, Edenton-Holmes’ first baseman hit a double over the right fielder’s head to score the runner from second and game was over.”
Poor defense plagued Richlands in the first inning. Edenton Holmes scored two unearned runs off two costly errors.
Mikayla Jarman, Richlands outstanding junior pitcher, will be back to pester opposing batters in the 2011 season.
Fields praised the pitching of Edenton Holmes’ Kelli Patrick. “We did not hit the ball very well as Kelli Patrick kept us off balance at the plate utilizing her in curve to nail the corners and throwing in several change-ups that really hurt us,” Fields said.
Still, the Wildcats were able to battle back and take that 3-2 lead going into the bottom of the seventh inning before their defense, mostly solid throughout the season, let them down.
“Defense kept us in many games and we won some that we could have easily lost if it weren’t for the defense, due to our dropoff in executing at the plate,” Fields said.
Mikayla Jarman took the loss, allowing four runs, of which two were unearned.
Richlands’ key hits were a double by Haley Klemm and an RBI single by Haley Catanzarito. Allison Templeton reached first base on a push bunt and scored. The Wildcats’ first two runs were off base-loaded walks by Patrick.
Richlands finishes the season with a 22-3 record. They didn’t reach the state finals as they did the year before, but the record remains excellent. Jarman, just a junior, won 20 and lost 3, giving up 21 earned runs for an ERA of 1.00. Ten of those wins were shutouts.
Junior Haley Klemm led the team with a batting average of .575 with 29 RBIs. Other top hitters were: senior Taylor Cloninger with a .481 average and 30 RBIs; sophomore Tineisha Knapp, .453 average with 18 RBIs; senior Haley Catanzarito, .430 average with 22 RBIs, and senior Kayla Hice, .327 average with 5 RBIs. Cloninger clubbed six homeruns.
“We are losing 5 seniors, of which 4 were starters,” Fields said. “Key losses are Courtnie Whaley (3B), Taylor Cloninger (SS), Haley Catanzarito (LF), Kayla Hice (RF) and utility player Kelsey Reyer. We have some very big shoes to fill, and no doubt will have to rebuild and work hard in preparation for the 2011 season.”
