BETHALTO – The East Alton-Wood River Oilers opened their softball season with a payback win over Civic Memorial Monday afternoon.
A year ago, CM blanked Wood River 16-0 in their season opener. Megan Griffith pitched a four-inning no-hitter and also had three RBI.
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Griffith was on the mound again Monday, but to less effect as the Eagles lost 8-2.
“We were looking for payback,” EAWR head coach Michael Beachum said. “We have been talking about this for a week and a half. This pitcher (Griffith) no hit us last year, and I put it on my seniors to take that personally.”
“I told them ‘You’ve got to get up there and you’ve got to show them what you’re made of. You’ve been taking good swings at practice and getting good cuts in. Get up there and get your cuts in,’ and they did just that,” Beachum added.
Griffith struck out Jayde Kassler to open the game before Ellie Beachum slapped down a single and then stole second. Jordan Ealey tried to swap places with her via a double but Beachum was tagged out at home. It was Haley Pratt’s two-out RBI single that brought in Ealey for the early 1-0 lead.
Ellie Beachum, one of three freshmen in rotation for Wood River, started in the circle for the Oilers. She went a full seven innings with 14 strikeouts. She struck out the side in the bottom of the first.
CM’s two tallies both came via solo home runs. The first was Bella Thien’s no-doubt blast to left field off Beachum’s first pitch of the second inning to tie it back up at 1-1. Beachum then retired the side with three straight strikeouts.
“That’s my daughter out there, so it’s hard for me not to have bias,” coach Beachum said, “but I’m so proud of that kid. She works her butt off every day and she didn’t let adversity get to her. She has nerves of steel. For a freshman to come up here and come back after letting that [home run] go was big time.”
Wood River’s bats got back to work in the third. Kassler hit a lead-off single and immediately stole second. She was brought in by Ealey’s RBI single and then Ealey was batted in by Pratt to make it 3-1. One of the three freshmen, Olivia Sheets, doubled to score Lily Tretter from third to make it 4-1.
After the fourth and fifth innings went scoreless, the Oilers added some insurance runs in the sixth.
Averi Gilliam singled and then was moved to second after Kassler was walked. Beachum singled to score Gilliam and then Ealey’s second double of the game sent Kassler and Beachum around to home and make it an 8-1 ballgame.
Beachum and Griffith both went three-up, three-down to send the game to the bottom of the seventh.
Danika Chester ripped a solo homerun over centerfield to try and spark a late comeback, and it made Beachum sweat a bit.
Beachum then walked Emma Wade. Kylie Wright, Wade’s pinch runner, got to second after a wild pitch and then Lauren Hardy was walked. Griffith flew out to move the runners to second and third with two outs, but Beachum came back to strike out Grace Burton to end the game.
Beachum had a stellar game pitching for 14 strikeouts, batting 3-for-4 with an RBI, and tacking on four stolen bases for good measure. Ealey went 3-for-4 with 3 RBI. Sheets and Pratt also hit 3-for-4. The Oilers outhit CM 15-5.
Griffith, who made 20 starts last season with a 3.67 ERA and 127 total strikeouts, faced 35 Wood River batters and struck out seven of them.
Both the Oilers and Eagles are trying to bounce back from rocky seasons. Wood River went 5-25 and CM was 10-18 last year.
Both teams brought back the majority of their players and are expected to be heavily improved, and for the Oilers, they got the season started in the right direction.
“Now, I think we’ve got a lot yet to work with,” coach Beachum said. “We’ve got some things we can do better situationally, but overall I think we played a heck of a game today. I’m really proud of the kids.”
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