Softball team ends busy week with shutout of Goretti

Samantha Zahnow and Amanda Waltman limited St. Maria Goretti to two hits, while the Indian offense banged out 11 hits in a 13-0 victory in Hagerstown on Saturday, August 28. The win enabled Berkeley Springs to end the week with three wins against three loses.

The week started with Berkeley Springs losing a 2-1 pitcher's duel in Martinsburg on Monday, April 23.

Katie Kesecker pitched a gem, allowing the Bulldogs only two runs on six hits. However, Martinsburg's ace Lexi Rodgers was a little better, limiting the Indians to one run on three hits.

Berkeley Springs lone run came on an RBI-single off the bat of Amanda Waltman in the top of the first to give the Indians a quick 1-0 lead. It was short-lived however, as the Bulldogs answered with a single run in the bottom half of the inning to tie the game 1-1.

The game remained tied until Martinsburg scored a run in the bottom of the fourth for the final margin of victory.

"Our girls played a pretty solid game," said Berkeley Springs coach Greg Brown. "It was a game where one play here or there could decide it. We had a couple of chances with runners in scoring position but couldn't get the key hit. Everyone hates to lose, but a loss like this you can live with. We never gave up. They were just a little better than us."

Sarah Risinger and Ashley Hovermale had the other two hits for Berkeley Springs.

A day later Berkeley Springs dropped a painful double header to Jefferson County, in Berkeley Springs, by respective scores of 5-4 and 9-7.

"This is a night I'd rather forget," Brown said. "It is very upsetting to have a quality opponent on the ropes and not be able to finish them off. We made mental errors and committed eight errors in the double header."

Most painful for Brown and Berkeley Springs was the seventh-inning collapse in game one. Leading 4-3, the Indians allowed the Lady Cougars to score two runs on one hit, to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

Zahnow was the hard-luck loser in the first game and Kesecker was tagged with the loss in game two.

Kesecker had three hits on the night, while Hovermale and Zahnow had two hits each.

"I didn't even bother doing a breakdown on these games," said despondent Brown. "It was too painful to go back over the books and rehash the mess."

Berkeley Springs had a day off to lick their wounds before hosting Petersburg in a double header on Thursday, April 26. The day off gave the Lady Indians time to put the disappointment behind them and they responded with a sweep of the Lady Vikings, 12-2 and 14-1 respectively.

In the first game, Kesecker led the Berkeley Springs offense with a single, a double and a home run, her second of the year. Risinger, Waltman and Hovermale also had three hits. Waltman scored three runs with two RBI; Hovermale had two RBI and run scored, while Risinger scored one run.

Zahnow started and went three innings to record her fifth win of the year. She allowed two runs on one hit, walking one and striking out one. Kesecker worked the final two innings allowing no runs on no hits. She struck out three and did not walk a batter.

In the nightcap Berkeley Springs scored four runs in the first, three in the second, four in the third and three in the fourth to defeat Petersburg 14-1.

Kesecker went the distance for her seventh win of the year. She allowed one run on five hits, striking out four and walking one.

Berkeley Springs, which had 15 hits in game one, banged out 14 more in game two for the easy win.

Hovermale, Zahnow, Waltman, Tiffany Compton and Kayla Hill had two hits each. Hovermale scored four runs with a RBI. Zahnow scored three times and had three RBI, Waltman had three RBI and scored two runs, Compton also had three RBI with a run scored, while Hill scored once and drove in a run.

"Hopefully this was a little confidence builder," said a much happier Brown. "These were very important games for us. Our girls were both patient and aggressive at the plate. We weren't up on our toes swinging for the fences. We did a pretty good job of staying back and exploding. Petersburg will probably be the team we face in round two of the playoffs. Of course we have to get by Frankfort first in round one, so all of our focus and attention will be on them when we start the playoffs on Thursday."

The Indians ended the week with an easy win at Goretti, to improve their record to 13-12 on the year.

Berkeley Springs scored at least two runs in each of the first five innings, while Zahnow and Waltman did the rest, earning the Indians the 13-0 victory.

Risinger had a two-run home run, a single and four RBI to lead the Berkeley Springs offense. Zahnow, Hovermale and Compton also had two hits each, with Zahnow scoring three runs, Hovermale two and Compton one. Hovermale and Compton had two RBI each.

Zahnow, who pitched the first three innings, picked up her sixth win of the year. She allowed no runs on two hits, striking out six and walking one. Waltman, who has been injured for much of the year, pitched the final two innings allowing no runs on no hits, She struck out three and walked one.

"We finished the week 3-3, played four good games and two I never want to talk or think about again," Brown said. "Hopefully this Thursday all of the negative things we've had to fight through this year will pay off for us. It's been an up and down year, but a good outing Thursday against Frankfort can make all of the bad things go away."

Berkeley Springs will host the Falcons in a double-header, in the best of three sectional, beginning tomorrow, May 3. If a third game is needed it will be played the following day at Frankfort High School.