NORTH ROBINSON – Tuesday night Jamee Burke won one of the biggest games of her coaching career at Wynford.
The Royals upset rival Colonel Crawford 7-6 after staving off a furious charge from the Eagles having led 6-1 at one point.
“Last night was arguably our best game of the season,” Burke said. “We’ve told them since game one this is where we think we could be and how we could play. We saw it some last year and even graduating five seniors, we still had it this year.
“It was the first time in my coaching career that we beat Crawford.”
Wednesday night, on the other hand, didn’t feel so good as Burke’s Royals were throttled by the Eagles 16-0 in five innings.
“We only had one error (Tuesday) and that was truly the difference between today and yesterday,” Burke said. “(And) Crawford hit the ball hard. I think they figured out Rylee (Robinson) there towards the end last night and then really came in with it today. Kudos to them, top-to-bottom they hit the ball hard and that was the difference.”
Across the diamond in the home dugout, Sarah Fraser was eager to see how her Colonel Crawford team would respond after losing to their rival for the first time in a decade.
“We talked about that last night when we got to school,” she said. “It’s all about the response and how we handle it. They were mad, they were the most upset I’ve seen them all year. The reaction is key, we told them we’ll see what they’re made of tomorrow.
“They proved something today.”
Allison Weithman got things going from the start for Colonel Crawford with a single. She was then driven in by a Hannah Allen single and Allen herself scored off an error during an infield fly.
The lead was doubled in the second with another Weithman single, this time an Aubrey Zizzo double brought her home, and Zizzo scored on a throwing error to first.
Colonel Crawford would then bat through the order in the third and fourth innings adding seven and five runs respectively for a commanding 16-0 lead that would go on to be the final.
“We were a little more prepared and a little more focused,” Fraser said. “And with this team, that makes the difference. We can beat pretty much anybody we go up against when we’re focused.
“When we play as a team, we can be really good. We have one or two stragglers, that’s where it goes bad. Something we’ve stressed all year is being here together for each other and playing like a team at all times. “
It was a total team effort with all nine starters contributing in one way or another offensively and defensively. Eight of the nine batters recorded at least one hit and run, Madison Gray was the lone batter without. But it was Gray’s infield fly that led to the error in the first allowing Allen to score, and her sac fly in the third starting the big inning bringing home Rylie Hoepf.
And Zizzo pitched a gem in the circle recording her first career no-hitter with the varsity squad. She struck out six, walked two, stranded four on base and sat down the Royals in order in the final two innings.
“First high school no-hitter today, she was focused and lasered in,” Fraser said. “They had some pretty big hits off her last night, even at the end. I was so proud of her.”
Fraser wasn’t the only one impressed, Burke gave credit where it was due Wednesday night.
“They threw better tonight, she had a great night,” Burke said. “Few more walks last night that went in our favor, but she brought it today for sure.”
And the win was doubly special for the Eagles because it came in senior Harley Thomas’ return to the lineup. Having been out for more than three weeks dealing with a knee injury, she donned a brace and returned to her place at third base while slotting into the nine hole.
“It was like the world was just right,” Fraser said. “That puts Hannah back at first and Rylie back in the outfield, it was just comforting to know she’s back.”
Thomas didn’t record a hit, instead reaching base on an error and hit by pitch, but managed to score both times after grounding out to first in her first at-bat.
“She’s one of the best third basemen around and at the plate she was a little off, but she hasn’t swung a bat for three weeks,” Fraser said. “Putting her at the nine, we get a little offensive production at the bottom of our lineup which will help tremendously when she gets going again.”
Robinson took the loss for Wynford striking out three in the process one night after striking out six in the win. It drops the Royals to 5-10 on the year with a lot of softball still to be played.
“Just focus on the positives, we’ve done that since I took over,” Burke said. “We know where we want to be, it’s just executing and getting there. We talk about showing up for our seniors, but show up for yourself too.
“It’s a new day tomorrow.”
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This article originally appeared on Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum: Colonel Crawford softball throttles rival Wynford after upset