Spartans use big inning to pull away from Barons

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The Buckeye Valley softball team came back from a couple of early one-run deficits, but couldn’t overcome a four-run fifth, falling 10-6 to visiting Marion Pleasant in MOAC play Wednesday in Delaware.

Makenna Waddell and Brooke Flickinger each had two hits, a RBI and two runs to lead the Spartans (6-4, 2-2).

Waddell led off the fifth with a walk and came around to score the tying run on a Grace Davis double. Courtney White, who reached on a fielder’s choice, scored the go-ahead run on an error.

“We’ve had some struggles up and down – emotionally,” BV coach Christine Crooks said. “It is what it is with high school girls softball.”

Davis scored on a wild pitch and Aubrey Conklin added a RBI single to push the lead to 7-4.

“You can’t take anything away from (Pleasant),” Crooks said. “I can certainly say that tomorrow will be a new day.”

The Spartans added three runs in the seventh to put the game out of reach. Eriel Howard hit a RBI single and two more scored on a Waddell low liner that was scored a three-base error after it skipped by left fielder Cora Hollingsworth.

Waddell lined a single to left to open the game, stole second and moved to third on an error before White brought her home with a sacrifice fly to give Pleasant an early 1-0 lead.

Rylee George and Marina Colatruilio each hit two-out RBI singles in the bottom half to give the Barons a 2-1 lead.

Flickinger (single) and Waddell (double) had back-to-back two-out hits to give Pleasant a 3-2 lead in the second.

Alexa Richardson singled to open the third and Olivia Schick dispatched one over the wall in center to give the Barons a 4-3 lead in the third.

“(Schick) brought the fire last game too on the mound and (at) the plate,” Crooks said. “She’s in the running for most valuable player (on the team). (She had) a nice hit, (so) she got the game ball.”

Schick added a RBI single in the fifth and scored Lisa Leienberger, who tripled, on a groundout in the seventh to cap the scoring.

“We’ve got two captains – Lisa Leienberger and Oliva Schick – who are just rock-solid,” Crooks said. “We’re trying to work from the inside-out having those girls really take the lead.”

Richardson tied Schick for the team lead with two hits. Richardson led the Barons (5-6, 0-3) with three runs.

“(Richardson is an) overall good player,” Crooks said. “When she’s hot … she’s aggressive. She was able to place the ball where we were asking her to place it.”

Waddell went the distance for Pleasant to pick up the win. She allowed six runs (five earned) on eight hits and three walks with a strikeout.

Schick took the loss for BV, giving up 10 runs (five earned) on 10 hits and three walks with a strikeout in a complete-game effort.

BV and Pleasant meet up again today in Marion. First pitch is scheduled for 5:15 p.m.

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By Michael Rich

For the Gazette

Follow Michael Rich on Twitter @mrichnotwealthy or contact him at [email protected].

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