Bartlett upends Lake Park
Ever since Bartlett pitcher Tori Burke can remember the Hawks have been ready to play Lake Park.
It took Burke an inning to adjust to the wind, but she was more than ready Monday.
With sole possession of the Upstate Eight Conference Valley Division championship on the line for Lake Park, Burke allowed just 3 hits and 2 runs over 7 innings guiding the Hawks to a 4-2 victory. The is the second-straight season sweep of the Lancers for Bartlett.
Lake Park (21-11, 14-4) can still clinch outright possession of the league crown with a victory Wednesday over winless East Aurora. Bartlett (15-12, 12-5) is currently in second place and would need a Lancers’ loss to East Aurora and its own victories over Waubonsie Valley and Neuqua Valley to share the Valley crown.
Either way, Lake Park coach Tom Mazzie says his team will need to put together a better effort than it did Monday.
“Everything we preached the entire season went out the window,” Mazzie said. “It seems we get out and play Bartlett and these girls lose their minds. We were 100 percent not ready to play.”
Burke (8-3) looked a little shaky at first giving up a run on 2 hits to the first 3 batters. She rebounded to allow just a single hit and an unearned run over the next 6 innings
Kelli O’Neill smacked an RBI triple in the fourth to score Sarah Koch and cut the Hawks’ lead to 4-2.
“They’re one of our biggest rivals,” said Burke, who has watched the Bartlett/Lake Park rivalry since her sister Shannan played for the Hawks in 2003. “Whenever we play them, we plan on playing really good softball.”
Bartlett got to Lake Park starter Lisa Baumgart (14-7) early and often. Baumgart gave up 3 runs in the third inning after the Hawks left 3 runners in scoring position in the first two innings.
Baumgart allowed 5 hits in her 3 innings of work, but left the game after throwing 71 pitches. Marilyn Perry took over in the fourth and allowed 1 run on 3 hits in the final 3 innings of work.
Bartlett scored its runs by using a slap bunt approach at the plate. Steph Tomazin walked to open the third, followed by a pair of singles from Jacki Gulczynski and Nicole Beck. Lisa Matsie recorded the third single in a row to score Tomazin at tie the game at 1-1.
Brittany Idler then reached base on an error, but scored Gulczysnki in the process. On the same error Matsie came home and Bartlett held a 3-1 lead.
“I don’t know if I’ve ever seen so many swinging bunts,” Hawks’ coach Jim Wolfsmith said. “We strung a couple of them together and got some runs. Right now, we’re feeling pretty good.”