05/24/06
Frank pitches Wildcats to first crown since mid-80s
DELAWARE LEAGUE SOFTBALL TITLE GAME
By P.J. Harmer
Staff Writer
STAMFORD — The final r
| | | Davenport’s Melissa Lare slides safely into home as South Kortright catcher Patti Austin prepares to catch a throw in the fourth inning Tuesday at Archibald Field in Stamford. Lare’s run gave the Wildcats a three-run lead and they went on to a 5-1 victory in the Delaware League title game. |
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esult was worth the wait for Davenport’s softball team.
The Wildcats finished Tuesday what they started Thursday, earning a 5-1 victory over South Kortright in the Delaware League championship on a brisk afternoon.
Davenport (13-3) started Tuesday with a 3-1 lead it built through three innings Thursday before the game was postponed by rain.
Melissa Lare doubled and scored in the fourth inning and winning pitcher Nicole Frank (11-2) kept the Rams in check the rest of th[an error occurred while processing this directive]e way.
Wildcats coach Cheryl Butler said it was Davenport’s first league title since the mid-1980s.
"It feels great because a lot of people see us as the underdog sometimes and I think that makes it better when you win," said Frank, who had five of her nine strikeouts in Tuesday’s continuation. "More satisfaction."
It was especially satisfying for Frank, who pitched in the last two Delaware League title games — a 13-11 loss to SK last season and an 11-9 loss to Roxbury in 2004, when she did not get the decision.
"Last year we felt that we should have won," Frank said. "We really wanted to win. We came in (Tuesday) with a plan and definitely executed."
Lare led off the fourth inning with a bloop hit to right and hustled into second base for a double. She moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Lauren Rider and scored when Amanda Smith grounded to pitcher Cassie Salcido.
When Salcido threw to first for the out, Lare broke home and slid in before the throw from first baseman Cassie McMullen.
"That was the plan from practice," Lare said. "I was going to get on and try and get to second base, get bunted over and try and get home. It was just great to do it.
"It was an awesome insurance run and it boosted the team up the rest of the game," she continued.
The Rams started in nearly identical fashion in the bottom of the inning.
Jess Cole led off with a bloop single to right and took second on a wild pitch. But Frank struck out Jordan Nichols swinging and got McMullen and Brittany Pickett on pop outs to second baseman Aryn Smith.
The Rams got leadoff runners on in three of the four innings Thursday, but stranded each of them at second.
"I knew we were going to have to hit the ball better than we did (Thursday) and we didn’t hit the ball," South Kortright coach Jim Austin said. "Against a team like Davenport, if you don’t hit it, you’re not going to beat them."
Frank was crisp, walking one and allowing three hits Thursday. The Rams’ only sharp hit was Melissa Schlobohm’s single with one out in the seventh inning.
"(Frank) and (catcher) Brittany (Westcott) work so well together," said Butler, whose team beat the Rams for the second time this season. "Brittany has really worked hard on knowing what pitches to throw and Nicole’s hitting them and that’s important."
The Wildcats scored their final run in the seventh. With one out, Caitlyn Carrington singled through the right side. Aryn Smith then hit a hard line drive back to Salcido for the second out. However, her throw to Pickett to try and double-up Carrington at first was wide and Carrington moved to second.
Carrington then scored when Courtney Adam reached on a fielding error by second baseman Kassie Tiller.
The Rams threatened in the bottom of the seventh when Pickett dropped a single into right. Frank struck out Amanda Hanselman before allowing Schlobohm’s single to put runners on first and second. However, Frank got Salcido to pop out to shortstop Amanda Smith and Patti Austin to pop out to Aryn Smith to end it.
Davenport is seeded fifth in the Section Four Class D Tournament and plays host to No. 12 Schenevus at 4:30 p.m. Thursday in the opening round. Third-seeded South Kortright hosts No. 14 Morris at 4:30 p.m. Friday.
DAVENPORT 5, SOUTH KORTRIGHT 1
Davenport 003 100 1 — 5 9 3
South Kortright 001 000 0 — 1 5 4
Nicole Frank (W, 11-2) and Brittany Westcott. Cassie Salcido (13-2) and Patti Austin. 2B — Melissa Lare (D), Kaci Hood (D).
