Six through nine in the East Grand Forks Senior High batting order, hitting has been up and down this season.
"It's been inconsistent,'' Green Wave coach Heidi Spicer said of the bottom of the order. "The majority of times when they've gotten on base, it's been by walks. But they started hitting in our game last Friday. And it carried over.''
The bottom of the order was an offensive spark Tuesday as the Wave beat visiting Crookston 10-0 in the first round of the Minnesota Section 8AA fastpitch softball playoffs.
Leadoff hitter Megan Boman was the most productive Wave player, going 1-for-2 with a triple, scoring four runs and driving in two.
After that, it was the bottom four who accounted for five runs and five of the Wave's nine hits. Natalie Carlstrom, hitting sixth, was 1-for-3 with a double. She was followed by Chloe Vonasek (2-for-3, double), Katie Steer (1-for-2) and Macy Skyberg (1-for-2, two RBI).
ADVERTISEMENT
"That's what we'll need to keep moving on, consistent hitting throughout the order,'' Spicer said. "The top of the order consistently gets on base. This was the most productive day we've had from the bottom of the order. They jump-started two big innings.''
After Senior High scored once in the first, the Wave busted loose for four in the second. Vonasek, Steer and Skyberg scored the first three runs, with Boman hitting a two-run triple. In a three-run third, Carlstrom and Vonasek opened the inning with back-to-back doubles and scored the inning's first two runs.
That was more than enough offense for Boman. The right-handed junior pitcher struck out 10 while allowing only three hits. Only one ball reached the outfield, that a slow roller up the middle for a single.
"It was one of my better games,'' Boman said. "They were taking pitches on the outside corner. And I usually can hit the corners pretty well. And our defense made the plays.''
With 10 strikeouts, Boman didn't need a lot of defensive help. The big play for the Wave was in the third.
Boman pitched out of a jam, as the Pirates had runners on second and third with one out. Boman got a strikeout for the second out. Then Macy Strem hit a low, hard line drive that Senior High first baseman Mallory Aitchison reached down to her right and caught to end the Pirates' biggest threat.
Senior High improved to 12-4, while Crookston ended its season 2-19.
ADVERTISEMENT
