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| For five innings Titusville's freshman pitcher Jordan Wynn seemed to be in complete control. Though she walked five, she would battle her way out of inning after inning. Her opponent, Oil City left seven runners stranded. Heading into the sixth inning it was 2-0 in favor of the Rockets who had scored in the first and third innings on RBI's from Wynn and Kyra Adkins. In the first inning Adkins, the third batter came to the plate with two outs. She drilled a single up the middle. Wynn then came to the plate and drove one deep into the outfield for a double. The fleet footed Adkins scored the games first run. |  |
In the second inning Gabriella Peterson lead off with a single, but Oil City’s starting pitcher Shalyn Whittemore struck out the next three batters. Peterson made it to third on a couple pitches that got away from the catcher but was stranded there.
The third got going whenTitusville's second batter Briana Wynn tripled. She was quickly plated on a fielder’s choice to shortstop by Adkins. It looked like Titusville would mount a rally after loading the bases bringing a visit to the mound by Oiler head coach Michelle Hoovler. Whittemore struck out the next batter and retired the side with a ground out back to her at the mound. The rockets left three ducks on the pond.
The third got going whenTitusville's second batter Briana Wynn tripled. She was quickly plated on a fielder’s choice to shortstop by Adkins. It looked like Titusville would mount a rally after loading the bases bringing a visit to the mound by Oiler head coach Michelle Hoovler. Whittemore struck out the next batter and retired the side with a ground out back to her at the mound. The rockets left three ducks on the pond.
Jordan Wynn continued to pitch well. She had eight strike out in the contest but around the end of the fifth inning Hoovler noted something with the young pitcher.
"We felt (Wynn) was starting to struggle a little bit," Hoovler said. "She was starting to throw more balls. So we were trying to wait her out.” Hoovler told her players to be patient at the plate and don't chase pitches. The strategy worked.
"We felt (Wynn) was starting to struggle a little bit," Hoovler said. "She was starting to throw more balls. So we were trying to wait her out.” Hoovler told her players to be patient at the plate and don't chase pitches. The strategy worked.
Oil City clawed away and got a run in the sixth to trail only by one going into the final frame. Titusville couldn’t add any insurance runs and Oil City got a lead off single followed by two patient walks to load the bases with no outs.
In an attempt to change the momentum, Titusville’s strong-armed catcher, Adkins, threw a laser down to third to catch an unaware Oil City runner off guard. The throw was in plenty of time but wasn’t handled by Briana Wynn and it trickled into the outfield allowing Libby Arnink to score the tying run.
Then freshman Sophia Garmong came to the plate and hit a fly to right that just couldn’t be handled and the Oilers scored the winning run.
In an attempt to change the momentum, Titusville’s strong-armed catcher, Adkins, threw a laser down to third to catch an unaware Oil City runner off guard. The throw was in plenty of time but wasn’t handled by Briana Wynn and it trickled into the outfield allowing Libby Arnink to score the tying run.
Then freshman Sophia Garmong came to the plate and hit a fly to right that just couldn’t be handled and the Oilers scored the winning run.
“It was a tough loss,” Titusville head coach Megan Green said after the game.
She said her pitcher just wasn't getting the calls on the edge of the plate like she usually does and the frustration on Wynn’s face and in her body language was plain to see.
“She is young and she has to learn how to battle out there,” Green said. “And she will. Varsity ball is way different from travel ball.”
She said her pitcher just wasn't getting the calls on the edge of the plate like she usually does and the frustration on Wynn’s face and in her body language was plain to see.
“She is young and she has to learn how to battle out there,” Green said. “And she will. Varsity ball is way different from travel ball.”
Green tells her team that they can't let someone else dictate whether they win or lose and to put themselves in positions to win.
A few key errors cost them in the end, the throw to third and a dropped pop fly. She pointed out the play late in the game when Oil City’s Nysa Hanlon line drive nicked the top of Riley McGarvie’s glove at second bace and ended up in right field. “One more inch,” Green lamented.
“They are close,” Green said of how good her team is. “They need to learn how to embrace adversity, and how to handle that, and how to cope with that. We need to keep them engaged and in it for seven innings”
Green complimented Oil City who is now 3-0.
“They seem to have a good group and they are capitalizing on that,” she said. “We have a good group too… they just have to believe it.”
A few key errors cost them in the end, the throw to third and a dropped pop fly. She pointed out the play late in the game when Oil City’s Nysa Hanlon line drive nicked the top of Riley McGarvie’s glove at second bace and ended up in right field. “One more inch,” Green lamented.
“They are close,” Green said of how good her team is. “They need to learn how to embrace adversity, and how to handle that, and how to cope with that. We need to keep them engaged and in it for seven innings”
Green complimented Oil City who is now 3-0.
“They seem to have a good group and they are capitalizing on that,” she said. “We have a good group too… they just have to believe it.”
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