Lady Yellow Jackets Knock Off Delaware Valley

By Rob Potter
ELDRED — April 21, 2000 -- There was not an abundance of offense in Wednesday’s Western Sullivan League (WSL) softball game between Delaware Valley and host Eldred.
The respective pitchers, Mariah Gillow for the Lady Eagles and Karin Blaut for the Lady Yellow Jackets, were on their games. Gillow allowed only six hits while striking out nine batters and Blaut gave up four hits and recorded 10 Ks.
Unfortunately for Gillow and her teammates, the Lady Yellow Jackets were able to record many of their hits with runners on base and grabbed a 3-1 victory. The win boosted Eldred’s mark on the young season to 4–2 overall and 2–2 WSL, while DV’s first loss drops the squad to 3–1 overall, 3–1 WSL.
With the game tied at 1-1 in the bottom of the third inning, Eldred took the lead. With two outs and two runners on base, Amanda Tice blooped a single to center field to plate Casey Williams.
Then in the bottom of the fifth, Eldred again registered a key, two-out hit. Kristen Borstelmann beat out a grounder to short that allowed Blaut, who reached base on a walk and then stole second and third base, to score an insurance run.
“We really needed this win,” said Eldred Coach Dot McCrone. “We played well as a team and Karin pitched an excellent game.”
DV opened the scoring in the top of the second when Karen Terry grounded out with runners on second and third. The throw to first allowed Theresa Bauer to score from third base for the 1-0 lead.
The Lady Eagles had a chance to boost their lead when they loaded the bases with two outs. But Blaut induced a soft fly ball to get out of the jam.
DV again loaded the bases against Blaut an inning later, with only one out in the frame. But a pop-up to first base and a grounder to second enabled Blaut to keep the game knotted at 1-1.
“We had a couple of chances for a big inning,” noted DV coach John Meyer. “But we didn’t get a two-out hit. Karin pitched a really good game and we didn’t take advantage of the chances we had. When she is on like she was today, you’re not going to get many chances to score and if you don’t make the most of those few chances, you’re not going to win.”
In addition to Terry’s RBI, Bauer, Megan Moran and Alicia Peters each had one hit for the Lady Eagles.
The Eldred offense was paced by Tice, who went 2-for-3 with an RBI, Borstelmann (2-for-3) and Danielle Campbell (1-for-3). Borstelmann and Campbell each knocked in one run.
Meyer added that he was “happy with the way Mariah pitched.”
“She pitched well enough to win,” he noted. “But Eldred played better than we did today.”
Although Eldred was scheduled to play a non-league game yesterday – weather permitting, of course — both the Lady Yellow Jackets and Lady Eagles will enjoy a few days off for the holiday break. Once they return to school, however, both squads will play three WSL games each week for three consecutive weeks.
But the win gave McCrone and her team some more confidence for the those upcoming, action-filled weeks.
“I think we should be doing well,” McCrone commented. “We played a good defensive game today and if we keep playing well defensively and together as a team, we’ll be all right.”