By HUNTER O. LYLE
DUKE CENTER, PA – Facing the best team in the North Tier League for the second time in as many days, the Otto-Eldred softball team was unable to come up with an answer for Northern Potter, ultimately losing 10-2 as they were swept in the season series.
The Lady Terrors and Lady Panthers are nothing but familiar. Besides their continuous battles for control over the NTL in recent years, the two squads saw each other just one day prior. In that contest, played in NoPo’s territory, O-E found themselves behind early and failed to eke out a response, dropping their third league contest of the season at 9-3. Readying for a rematch less than 24 hours later, they went back to the drawing board.
“We knew they’d probably be a little bit more on Baylee (Francis, our pitcher,) so we put Jahden (Smith) out in center field and knew it would make a difference,” said Otto-Eldred head coach Kristina Francis. “(Playing a team back-to-back,) you’re a little more familiar and comfortable. It was fun playing them back-to-back. They’re a good group of girls.”
At the start of the sequel, the Lady Terrors were seeing flashbacks. After getting on base with a single from their lead-off hitter, Lillian Steele, the Lady Panthers quickly moved her to third with back-to-back steals before Jaylyn Williammee joined her on base with a walk. Batter No. 3 chipped in a sacrifice grounder to drive in the inaugural run of the day before Taylor Knowles stepped up to the plate and cracked a RBI-double to the center field wall.
The Lady Terrors response was ultimately muted, as they were dispatched in three before watching NoPo tack on another run in the top of the second off an overthrow to first. However, returning to the batters’ box shortly after, O-E managed to break the stalemate. With Helaina Unverdorben reaching first with a single, then stealing second, she found her way across home plate with a hard hit single from Kenyan Kellogg to put the Lady Terrors on the board.
“They’re doing what I’m asking them to do. It’s not a glorious job to lay down a bunt but we did that and made some plays and laid down some hits,” said Kristina Francis. “We practice and put the reps in and when we’re here, we’re working. That’s really what makes the difference.”
While their offense was finding some traction, the Lady Terrors’ defense was still struggling to contain NoPo. Over the next three frames, the Lady Panthers would find ways to add four more runs to their side of the scoreboard. Converting on well-placed hits as well as a handful of O-E miscues, NoPo built up a 7-2 lead heading into the bottom of the sixth.
NoPo’s Serenity Risser rounds third on her way to home during the Lady Panthers’ 10-2 win over Otto-Eldred on Tuesday. Risser ended 2-for-4 with one run scored during the win. | Photo by Hunter O. Lyle
Meanwhile, the Lady Terrors were able to add just a single score. In the bottom of the fourth, down 6-1, Baylee Francis made her way onto the diamond with a full-count walk, then being moved to third via a sacrifice bunt from Unverdorben. Facing two outs, Payton Kaziska rattled off her first hit of the day, drilling a single and scoring the Lady Terrors’ second run of the afternoon. However, from there their offense went silent.
The final nail in the coffin came in the top of the seventh. Putting a runner on base via walk, the Lady Panthers burnt two quick sacrifice outs to move Miranda Jacoby into scoring position. One out away from blanking NoPo for the first time of the game, a costly error in the infield gave way to a ninth allowed score. One batter later, the Lady Panthers put the finishing touches on their tenth win of the season with another RBI-double from Knowles. O-E failed to retaliate, being retired for the final time in three.
Kellogg, Jahden Smith and Emily Rounsville all ended 1-for-3 for the Lady Terrors, with Kellogg registering an RBI. Kaziska also ended with an RBI during her 1-for-2 day at the plate, while Baylee Francis came away with four strikeouts through her time in the circle.
Currently sitting at 4-5 at the midway point in the season, the Lady Terrors know where they stack up. Having played the top two teams in the league twice already – NoPo and Port Allegany – and coming away having stayed relatively in stride, their playoff ambitions are still unwavering.
“(The players) are working really hard. They’re working for each other, for me, for the coaching staff. They’re working hard, they’re growing every day and that’s really what high school is all about, growth,” said Kristina Francis, whose team ends their week with a Thursday road game against Coudersport. “We’re growing and we’re going to do what we need to over the next week and a half and show up in the playoffs. That’s a win, for us to make a playoff game. The more innings we play, the better we’ll be.”
AT DUKE CENTER
Northern Potter 211 211 2 R:10 H:14 E:0
Otto-Eldred 010 100 0 R:2 H:5 E:5
Northern Potter: Francis (4 SO, 3 BB) and Rounsville
Otto-Eldred: Williammee (12 SO, 2 BB) and Steele
