TROY — While their teams results were much different, Troy softball coach Scott Beeler and Miami East coach Brian Kadel had similar reactions to an opening game day tri with Fort Loramie Saturday.
Troy went 2-0, defeating Fort Loramie 3-2 and Miami East 12-2 in six innings.
“It is always good to get two wins,” Beeler said. “But, we have to do a better job of doing the little things. We have Greenville (Monday and Tuesday). It is always tough playing them this early in the season, but those are things they will take advantage of if we don’t do a better job.”
Miami East is fielding a young team this year, but Kadel said that is not excuse. The Vikings also lost to Loramie 12-3.
“Yes, it is good to get out on the diamond,” he said. “But, we are not going to use being young as excuse. We are not looking at this as a rebuilding year. We need kids to be able to step up and we saw some of that today.”
Troy got a run in the first when Allyson Burns scored on Ashley Kloecker’s fielder’s choice and scored three runs in the second and three more in the fourth.
Erin Bruce had a RBI singles and Caroline Turnbull brought a run in with a bunt.
In the fourth, Lauren Fonner had a RBI single.
East got on the board in the fifth when Jadyn Bair and Kayly Fetters singled and both scored when Madison Maxson’s fly ball was misplayed.
Troy scored two runs in the fifth and ended it in the sixth.
Lilly James had a RBI single and Elise McCann had a two-run walk-off single to make 12-2.
James handled the pitching duties for Troy, throwing a four-hitter with nine strikeouts and one walk.
Kaitlyn Roop and Bair combined on a 10-hitter for East, with five strikeouts and eight walks.
Both teams had web gems.
The Miami East outfield threw Troy runners out trying to take an extra base.
McCann helped Troy get out of bases-loaded, no-out situation in the sixth.
After James got a strikeout, Fetters sent a smash towards McCann at third.
She nearly caught it, stepped on third for a forceout, then caught a runner between third and home to end the inning.
“The runner was really caught in the middle there,” Kadel said. “She caught the ball at first and then dropped it and got the double play. It is just one of those plays.”
In the win over Fort Loramie, Fonner was 2-for-3 at the plate and Abigail Welbaum threw a four-hitter, striking out six.
“Our pitchers threw well,” Beeler said. “We have to hit the ball. What drives me crazy is the number of first-strike pitches we take. We have to be swinging when the pitcher is looking to get ahead in the count in that situation.”
Kalli Teeters was 3-for-3 for East in the loss to Loramie, with Teeters, Roop and Bair combining to strikeout seven and walk seven on the mound.
“I know you would like to score more than five runs in two games,” Kadel said. “But, it is tough to win when you give up 24 runs in two games.”
Now, both teams will look to improve after getting on the diamond for the spring season for the first time in two years.