Softball: Blake 2, Blair 1 (8)

By Kyle Wannen
For DigitalSports.com

On varsity sports teams it's not often that two freshmen steal the show and dominate the game for their respective teams.

But during Monday's game Blake's Meredith Mathis and Blair's Sammy Schweickhard battled each other and both had spectacular complete game performances. In a wild ending Mathis and the Bengals barely edged out the Blazers, 2-1 in an extra eighth inning.

Mathis finished the game by pitching eight innings while giving up one run on four hits while striking out 15 and not walking anyone. Schweickhard went eight innings as well while giving up two runs on six hits while striking out 11.

"I just wanted to win and my friend got injured so I wanted to do it for her and it was cold so I wanted to go home so I just kind of wanted to strike people out and win," Mathis said.

"She comes out and she's focused and she has a determination that she won't be beat and it comes out when she pitches," Blake coach Dave Schipani said. "She has that intensity and she really wants to do the best everytime. I know after the last game she was a little tired and she was sick so she's been sick for about a week so now she's healthy and hopefully there's more of this to come."

The game was tied after the seventh inning and in each extra inning the batting team starts the inning with a runner on second base. Designated player Bridget Bratton was the first person to be the automatic runner and then freshman catcher Sarah Hagan drove her in with a sharp hit to give the Bengals (4-1) the lead. Two plays later Hagan injured herself while heading to third on a single by shortstop Justine Smith forcing Blake to change catchers.

"Of course I was nervous but I just knew what I had to do to bring her into home," Hagan said.

"She's probably one of the more impressive freshmen that I've coached over the years," Schipani said. "She's walways intense and she's always focused when she comes in so it didn't surprise me that she got the hit, it didn't surprise me that she hustled her way to third."

In the bottom of the eighth, Hagan was replaced with senior catcher Catherine Burkhardt. After sitting on the bench for seven innings in the cold, Burkhardt was immediately tested when automatic runner Lily Alexander tried to steal third on the first pitch. Burkhardt threw a frozen rope to Smith to catch Alexander and Mathis took care of the rest.

"I wasn't expecting it but I just wanted to get three outs quick and I wanted to do it for Sarah since she hurt herself," Burkhardt said.

"She came in cold and made a heck of a play," Schipani said. "I was surprised though. She's our number one catcher."

Blake took an early lead in the second inning when third baseman Bridget Hawvermale singled to lead off the inning and then stole second base. When first baseman Nicole Pontious beat out an infield single, Hawvermale hustled all the way from second to score on the play.

The Blazers (3-2) tied the game up when left fielder Xenia Oroxom singled in catcher Emily Haislip but it was not enough to get a win for Schweickhard.

"I was confident we were going to win the entire time especially when they only got one in the [extra inning]," Blair coach Louis Hoelman said. "[Sammy] is a freshman and she did a great job tonight. I mean she was like a rock. She pitched out of some key situations especially for a freshman."