Tuscola’s softball team’s seniors show the way
By Lenny Sementi
It was a busy final week of the regular season for Tuscola’s softball team, with five games on the slate, three ranked teams, two in 2A and a senior night to celebrate. The Warriors opened the week dropping games to St Joe and Unity on Monday and Tuesday and closed it with three straight wins on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
The seniors shined on Thursday on their night to be honored, upending Cumberland 11-1 in a run rule-shortened 6-inning affair. The Pirates scored first in the top of the first and then watched the Warriors take the lead in the bottom of the second and never look back. Singles by freshman Alaina Smith and Kayleigh Bales set the table for a 2-RBI triple by Zoey Thomason, who then scored on a double by Ava Boyer, who in turn scored on a single by senior Isabelle Wilcox, making it 4-1 Tuscola. They added five more in the third highlighted by a Boyer 2-run dinger and put it away with one in the fifth and another in the sixth.
Wilcox collected the win in the circle, going the distance allowing just one to cross the dish on just 1-hit while striking out 8. Boyer and Thomason led the way at the plate, both adding 3 hits and 3 RBIs to their season stat sheet. Senior Ella Boyer banged out a pair of hits, scored a run and swiped 3-bags. Smith had a pair of hits as well and senior catcher Makenna Fiscus and Addy Ring each singled.
There was a power surge one night later on the road at Georgetown as the black and gold ran away and hid, notching an 18-5 win over the Buffaloes on the back of home runs from both Boyer’s, Wilcox and Emily Czerwonka. Those 4 accounted for 13 hits, 15 RBIs and 12 runs scored. Czerwonka was a perfect 4 for 4 on the evening, while the other 3 all donated 3 hits each to the box score. Thomason had a perfect night as well, going three for three at the plate, scoring every time. Wilcox took the win
Just over 12 hours later on Saturday morning, they ended their week with a signature win over a very good-ranked Salt Fork squad 5-4, notching the program’s 20th win of the season. Tuscola went up 3-0 as the Boyers and Wilcox played long a short ball, all three scoring in the first frame. The trio delivered all 7 of the Warrior’s hits and scored all 5 runs.
Ella Boyer led the way going 3 for 3 on the day, pushing 3 runs across. Both Ava Boyer and Wilcox delivered both a pair of hits and a pair of runs. Wilcox was charged with a no-decision working 3 and 2/3’s, allowing 3 runs on 3 hits and 4 walks while reaching the century mark in strikeouts on the season, leaving in the fourth with it knotted at 3. Bayleigh Taylor collected the win in relief, allowing 1-run on 1 hit and a walk, striking out 3.
On Monday at St Joe, the Spartan’s offense blew it open late with a barrage of long balls in a 12-1 win, limiting the Warriors to just 4 hits. One of those was a long ball by Czerwonka, another was a triple by Ring and the 2 others were singles by Wilcox and Smith. One night later, a solid Unity team erupted early and slammed the door on the victory, giving up just one hit. Thomason singled in the third but was left and Wilcox was issued the loss on the bump.