EDWARDSVILLE—The early season modus operandi for the Edwardsville High girls softball team has been a very simple one: Bend, but don’t break.
And on Friday afternoon at the Edwardsville Sports Complex, the Tigers did just that. Winning pitcher Jordan Garella gave up two first inning runs, but later got key outs and left the bases loaded three times as the Tigers came up with four in their half of the inning en route to a 6-5 win over Triad.
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And against a good hitting Knights’ team, that was very much needed.
“They can hit,” said Edwardsville coach Lori Blade. “We knew that coming in, and Jordan got the opportunity to throw today. She threw really well, especially take away the walks in the first two innings. She did get into some situations, but she got herself out and we made some plays.”
The Tiger pitching staff isn’t a very overpowering one, but instead relies on the team’s defense to be successful.
“We’re not overpowering,” Blade said. “We’re not gonna strike 10 kids out a game; we know that coming in. We gotta rely on our defense, and we do that. But we’ve got to move the ball around. We’re not good enough to put it down the middle against kids who can hit like they can. So, we’re very fortunate today.”
Despite the four-run first, Triad coach Kris Kleeman was very happy with the way her team battled throughout the seven innings.
“Agreed,” Kleeman said. “I was very proud of the way they fought toward the end. They were down 6-2, and didn’t give up, rattled the bats there toward the end. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to take the lead, but it was a good fought game. It was a good game.”
The Knights have had a habit of having what Kleeman calls an “unpredictable” inning, and on this day, it came in the first, the inning that gave Edwardsville a lead that they would never relinquish.
“I thought that we came out and were aggressive on the bats,” Kleeman said. “And unfortunately, our unpredictable inning came in the first inning, Sometimes, it comes toward the end, but it was in the first inning tonight. So, if we don’t have that, we come out on top. So, it’s a matter of executing when we need to execute.”
Triad hit the Tigers with two runs in the opening inning, all the damage coming with two out. Kari Sarhage and Liz Young both drew walks, both scoring on back-to-back RBI singles by Peyton Bode and Kailen Daniel. Megan Schmiske then reach on an error to load the bases, but Garella got Jenee Johnson to ground out to short to end the inning.
The Tigers bats went to work in the bottom of the inning. Jordyn Henricks and Emma Lewis singled to start the inning, Henricks scoring on Anna Burke’s double to the fence in right center. A Sarah Hangsleben hit that just dropped in front of the left fielder scored Lewis to tie the game, and one out later, Lauren Taplin’s ground out to third scored Burke, who beat the throw from first to give Edwardsville the lead. Taryn Brown then singled home Hangsleben for the fourth run before Garella struck out to end the inning.
The Tigers response to the Knights’ opening runs were a sharp contrast to the day before, when Edwardsville couldn’t get over the hump after conceding early run in a loss to Belleville West.
“We did a much better job today in responding with kids in scoring position than what we did last night,” Blade said. “That was a positive change overnight.
“I just thought mentally, we had a better approach at the plate,” Blade also said. “We only stood and struck out twice today instead of umpteen yesterday. We just had a much better approach, and we came to compete a little bit better today. And we responded well from last night, bouncing back really from giving up what we did in the first. And then answering right away in the first was important for us.”
The Knights loaded the bases again in the second, with Shyla Schweppe walking to start the inning, Allison Kromray singling and Sarhage walking. Hangsleben made a nice running catch and throw to the plate for the second out, and Bode grounded to short to end the inning. The game then settled into a pitching duel between Garella and Sarhage. Sarhage only gave up a third inning single and stolen base to Maria Smith, while Garella retired nine in a row before giving up singles to Young, Daniel and Schmiske before getting out trouble with a Johnson grounder to second to end the Triad fifth inning.
The Tigers extended their lead in the bottom of the fifth, and all the damage coming with two out. Burke delivered the big blow, a home run over the right center field fence to give Edwardsville a 5-2 lead. Hangleben reached on an error by the shortstop and Smith walked before Taplin singled home Hangsleben with the sixth run, taking second on the throw to third.
Burke batted from the number three slot and went two for three with the home run, two RBI’s and two runs scored. It’s a opportunity Blade thought she earned.
“That’s why she’s in the three spot,” Blade said. “She’s very capable of doing what she did, and she’s worked really hard in the off-season. I think she’s a good bat and a tough out.”
Meghan Gorniak relieved Garella in the sixth, but ran into trouble after the first two outs, giving up five straight singles to Kromray, Sarhage, Young, Bode and Daniel that plated three runs. Gorniak made a big pitch and got Schmiske to ground back to the box and end the threat, then getting the side out in order to get the save.
“She did,” Blade said about Gorniak’s performance. “She got ground balls, and that’s what we need her to do. She’s got to locate it, and get us some ground balls and give us the opportunity to make plays.”
Despite the loss, Kleeman is very pleased with the way the Knights have played thus far.
“I’ve been very happy with their progress,” Kleeman said. “Every game, we get a little bit better, we learn something new every time, we’ve been mixing some things up and moving some people around, and I’m liking what I see for the most part. So, hopefully, we can build from that.”
The Tigers travel to Normal Community for a doubleheader on Saturday, while the Knights open Mississippi Valley Conference play Monday afternoon on the road at Jersey.
Dan Brannan also contributed to this story.
