Tuscola’s Lady Warriors stifle late rally against Westville softball
Senior pitcher Kerri Pierce leaned on her defense in the late innings of their opener this past Tuesday, March 15 for a two-run victory over a good Westville squad. The senior took the hill for the first seven inning outing of her high school career collecting the win giving up eight runs, four earned on ten hits and six walks.
Ella Boyer and Isabelle Wilcox led the way with the lumber. Boyer scored three times while going three for four in the afternoon, falling a triple short of the cycle, donating a homerun and a double to the cause. She found her way home twice on hits by Wilcox who drove in three on a two for three nights that included a round tripper as well. Pierce banged out a pair of base knocks also and drove in a pair.
Freshman Ava Boyer walked to open the season, moved on a single by sister Ella and scored on a single by Wilcox. The elder Boyer trotted home one batter later on a passed ball before Emily Czerwonka drove in Wilcox to make it 3-0 Warriors. Westville threatened in the next half frame with a lead off double by Wilcox helped the cause with a throw from her knees at third to get an out. Pierce took care of the last batter on her own with a strikeout.
The Lady Tigers cut into the lead with a run in each of the fourth and fifth frames thanks to a few Warrior miscues before the home team looked to Boyer and Wilcox in the bottom of the fifth. The duo led off the inning with back-to-back dingers fueling a six run frame putting the Warriors out front for good.
Pierce battled through both the sixth and seventh and Boyer and catcher Makenna Fiscus came up big in the field to end it. Thomason retrieved a ball off the fence with two outs and runners on the move, fired it to Boyer who threw a perfect strike to Fiscus who tagged out a would-be run at the plate for the final out.
They took it on the chin one night later. Wilcox had the pill and came out strong retiring the side in the first but control issues and some Warrior miscues proved to be too much to overcome as the Trojans put a crooked number on the board en-route to a 22-3 victory. The junior collected the loss working into the third before giving way to sophomore Addison Ring.
The ladies in black in gold jumped out early, plating three runs in the top of the first with both Ava and Ella Boyer as well as Emily Czerwonka. Wilcox drove in one with a laser beam single to left field. That however was the only bulbs they lit on the scoreboard in the four-inning contest dropping their first of the year.