Recap for the game: Drury vs Hoosac Valley on May 20
Hoosac Pays Back Drury with Senior Night Victory
Staff reports
11:18PM / Wednesday, May 25, 2011
ADAMS, Mass. -- The Hoosac Valley softball team was desperate for a big win on Friday and seeing arch rival Drury on the schedule on Senior Night might have been just enough to light a fire under the suddenly struggling Hurricanes.
Morgan Shafer's club had lost four out of its last five games entering Friday night's matchup with the Blue Devils. Drury, meanwhile, had won five out of its last six contests, including a 5-1 decision over Hoosac just eight days ago. As things so often do in this rivalry, the score was evened up thanks to a four-run second inning and an effective performance by Hurricanes starter Amanda Meczywor, which vaulted Hoosac to a 5-3 win at Russell Field.
Meczywor, one of four senior starters to make an impact for the 'Canes (12-6) on Friday, held the Blue Devils (11-5) to just three earned runs on eight hits, striking out six and walking one to improve her season record to 9-6. She also came up with a huge insurance run in the bottom of the fifth inning, slamming a solo home run into the gap in left-center field with her team only up 4-3 at the time.
"Amanda was on fire," Shafer said. "She really had control of the game, hitting her spots, making the right decisions and showing her experience on the mound tonight. Drury is a very good hitting team, and she did her best to keep them from getting any extra-base hits. As a team, we played well. My seniors did a great job leading their team to a win on Senior Night. We kept the mistakes to a minimum and worked together. It is a great win for us."
Just as important as Meczywor's effort was Hoosac's production in a four-run second inning. The Blue Devils hurt themselves by making two errors, allowing two walks and a passed ball. The Hurricanes then made them pay by scratching out three hits against Drury starter Cat Record, including a two-run double by junior Tanelle Ciempa with the bases loaded. Two more runs then scored when a ground ball by Tori Rumbolt (2 for 4 with two RBI) was overthrown at first base.
"The roof fell in in the bottom of the second inning," Blue Devils head coach Mary Ann Maroni said. "Hopefully we learned that you can give a team only three outs in an inning. Any more than that and that team will hurt you, as evidenced in what happened in the second."
Junior Olivia Koperek gave the visitors a 1-0 lead by scoring sophomore Amanda Ramsdell with a single in the top of the second inning. Drury then added single runs in the third and fifth frames to cut the lead to 4-3, only to see Meczywor seal the deal with her solo shot in the fifth. Ramsdell had two hits on the day, including an RBI single in the fifth, while seniors Lyndsey DeGrenier and Kendra Hinkell also chipped in with two hits apiece.
Record allowed four earned runs on seven hits to take the loss for the Devils. She went the distance, striking out two batters and walking two as her season record dropped to 10-4.
Drury next hosts Mount Greylock at 2 p.m. on Sunday, while Hoosac hosts Taconic at 4 p.m. on Wednesday.
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