Get The Latest News!
Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.
ALTON – Edwardsville and Alton's softball teams met each other in a Southwestern Conference game Thursday afternoon at Alton's grounds, and it was what Redbird coach Dan Carter called a real “toe-to-toe” affair.
The teams traded three-run and two-run innings to see each other tied 5-5 through five innings before the Tigers' Maria Smith singled to start the sixth, stole second and came home on an Anna Burke single to score what proved to be the winning run as the Tigers went to 2-0 on the season (1-0 in the SWC) with a 7-5 win over the Redbirds. Alton fell to 4-3 on the season, 1-1 in the league.
Edwardsville had fallen behind Alton when the Redbirds scored three times in the bottom of the second but bounced back to tie it in their half of the third; the Redbirds regained the lead with two runs in the bottom of the third, but EHS tied things back up again in the top of the fourth.
That the Tigers bounced back from three- and two-run deficits quickly made Tiger coach Lori Blade happy. “We were very patient,” Blade said. “I sat back and watched to see how we were going to respond getting down, and we came right back with three big ones, then gave up the two (runs) again and we responded well.
“We didn't really quit, they kept a great demeanor and battled, especially offensively, so I was proud of their effort.”
The game was a back-and-forth one, Blade felt. “We had some opportunities early that we really didn't take advantage of,” Blade said. “They made some nice plays; Burke had a gap shot and (Tami) Wong takes it away there at short, so it was just a back-and-forth game.
“It's early, our second game (because of a series of rainouts), starting out conference in Alton – we'll take the win.”
“My hats off to them – they played a very (good) game,” Carter said. “They did about everything right out here today. I was pleased with our effort, what our girls did; we went toe-to-toe with them, we just didn't come out on the top half of the scoreboard. We'll go back to work tomorrow and get a little bit better.
“I don't think we did a lot of things wrong; we did a lot more things right than we did wrong, and when you do that, good things are going to happen; it's growing pains – we'll learn from what we did right and go on from there.”
Playing evenly with the Tigers could give the Redbirds some confidence, Carter thought. “I'd like to think so; we'll find out tomorrow when we get back out here again tomorrow at practice and get ready for a game on Saturday,” Carter said. “I would like to think this is something we can build on.”
Alton got to the lead in the bottom of the second when Lynna Fischer doubled with one out and was joined on base when Rachel McCoy was hit by a Jordyn Henricks pitch; Abby Sullivan then drew a walk to load the bases to bring up Darcie Flanagan, who Henricks struck out. Rachel Rathgeb then managed to draw a walk to bring in Fischer and keep the bases loaded; Wong then singled in two runs to make it 3-0 in Alton's favor.
Edwardsville wasted no time responding in the top of the third; Burke drew a one-out walk and went to third on a Taryn Brown double to put runners at second and third. Emma Lewis singled in Burke to get a run back for EHS; a walk and error re-loaded the bases to bring up Kylee Myers, who singled in two runs to tie the game back at 3-3.
A McCoy two-run double in the next half-inning gave the Redbirds the lead back at 5-3, but Edwardsville drew level again in the top of the fourth when Henricks led off with a triple before Smith got ahold of an Abby Scyoc offering and sent it over the fence in right-center to tie the game up again at 5-5.
That's where it stood until the Tiger half of the sixth, when Smith singled and stole second before Burke stepped up and delivered an infield single; Smith, running with the pitch, came around third and scored to put the Tigers back ahead, with Lewis scoring an insurance run in the seventh before Meghan Gorniak, who stepped in to pitch in the third, retired the side to give Edwardsville the win.
The Redbirds are scheduled to host Piasa Southwestern for a 10 a.m. Saturday single game, then heads to O'Fallon for a 4:30 p.m. Monday SWC game; the Tigers head to Triad for a 4:15 p.m. game today.
