Bartlett downs Lake Park, in control of UEC Valley
Most pitchers don’t like it when the wind is blowing straight out to center field.
Tori Burke isn’t most pitchers.
The Bartlett senior actually enjoys when the wind is going against her.
Even after Burke gave up a home run to Lake Park’s Shannon Fritsche in the fourth inning of Wednesday’s Upstate Eight Conference Valley Division game in Bartlett, she wasn’t rattled. She finished the inning getting out of a bases-loaded jam and hung on for the win as Bartlett (21-3, 11-0) remained perfect in conference with a 7-3 victory.
The win, coupled with losses by Neuqua Valley and Waubonsie Valley on Wednesday, gives Bartlett a 3-game lead in the Valley race. The Hawks have 8 games left in league play.
“I like it when the wind blows out because I get more lift on my rise ball,” said Burke (12-3) , who struck out 10 Lake Park batters.
Fritsche’s homer to dead center brought Lake Park (16-9, 10-3) back to within 4-1, and the Lancers were poised to make it a game. Hits by Marilyn Perry and Logan Cahill combined with a a walk to Mariah Harper loaded the bases for Lake Park with two outs.
But nearly as quickly as the Lancers looked to get back into things, the Hawks were able to take the control right back as leadoff batter Kelly O’Neill popped out to end the inning.
“Everyone’s momentum was going with the confidence boost that we got,” Burke said. “We came out guns blazing. On the softball field, there’s not as big a boost as that.”
Lake Park got the hit it needed in the sixth inning with a 2-run double from Harper, but it just wasn’t enough.
“We needed that big hit,” Lancers’ coach Tom Mazzie said. “I told the girls, you’re not going to beat a good team giving up 7 runs. We didn’t give ourselves a chance. They came out right away swinging.”
Bartlett responded in the home half of the inning with a huge 2-run double from catcher Kaylyn Zierke. The hit took a favorable bounce into left field to score Sydney Johnson and Andreanna Taormina putting Bartlett ahead 6-1.
Taormina reached base on a walk an inning after Lake Park starter Perry walked 2 Hawks who would later score. Alex Morales and Holly Pagan were walked in succession . Burke’s sacrifice fly scored Morales and Pagan came home on an illegal pitch call.
Bartlett added a run in the sixth when Rachel Odolski scored after reaching base on an error.
“Anytime you can capitalize on mistakes from the other team, you want to,” Hawks’ coach Jim Wolfsmith said. “We jumped out to an early lead. The walks in front of Kaylyn were huge. You need to take advantage in games like these.”