Geneva rallies late against Bartlett

The girls on the Geneva softball team were certainly paying attention to their coach after Emily Plocinski overcame a pair of fielding errors to terminate the Bartlett sixth at-bat.

"We talked before the inning about the last 6 outs being the toughest of the game," Geneva coach Greg Dierks said.

The first five Geneva players to bat in the bottom of the sixth inning all reached safely.

Sophomore Rylie Porretto scored Maddie Keith and Molly Wrenn with a double down the right-field line to complete a Geneva 4-run uprising before Bartlett could even record an out in the schools' Upstate Eight Conference game.

The Vikings' late rally was sufficient to overcome a 3-run deficit to start the inning.

Plocinski retired Bartlett in order in the top of the seventh to preserve the 6-5 victory Friday afternoon in Geneva.

Geneva shortstop Anna Geary made a diving stab on a Suzie Miceli liner to end the game.

Big innings and leadoff walks are seemingly as synonymous as a restaurant and prime rib on Saturday night.

Annika Radabaugh coaxed such a free pass to begin the Vikings' fateful sixth inning.

Kaitlyn Plocinski followed with a double, and Radabaugh scored when Bartlett botched an infield pickle play.

"We made poor choices throwing the ball," Bartlett coach Jim Wolfsmith said.

Wrenn then plated Kaitlyn Plocinski when Bartlett muffed her infield grounder.

The Vikings' 5-4 deficit evaporated when Porretto had the second extra-base hit of the inning for Geneva (4-1, 2-0).

"I was just looking for an outside pitch," Porretto said. "I was definitely trying to go to the right side, no matter what. I just wanted to help my teammates who got hits before me."

Bartlett (7-3, 2-1) committed 5 errors in the game to the Vikings' four.

"Absolutely," Wolfsmith replied when asked if his team squandered the game with fielding miscues.

Wolfsmith also felt Bartlett had scoring chances slide by needlessly.

"We left runners in scoring position with bad swings," Wolfsmith said. "I thought we gave up outs at the plate."

Radabaugh tripled home both Kate and Anna Geary in the third to offset the run-scoring single by the Hawks' Lauren Janczak to open the scoring.

But Janczak would be a major factor later on in the game.

The senior had a bases-loaded single to score pinch-runner Ashley Barr and Nina Pavell to complete the Hawks' 4-run fourth inning that provided the squad with a 5-2 lead.

The Hawks' center fielder then turned the first of back-to-back inning-killing double plays for Bartlett in the fourth and fifth with a line out and throw to first.

"There was one out and a runner on first," Janczak said. "The girl (Taylor Mraz) hit a really nice line drive. I knew (Porretto) was running. As soon as I caught it, I knew I could get her out at first base."

Plocinski and Bartlett counterpart Danielle Kirby both went the distance on the mound.