For two very similar teams, a one-run game was a fitting outcome.
Avon beat Amherst, 2-1, in a Division I Avon Lake district semifinal May 21, a battle between the second and third seeds respectively.
Both teams were armed with senior pitchers and young lineups, making the matchup an even stage.
A two-run first inning made all the difference.
Avon third baseman Alexis Dill led off the bottom of the first with a single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. Pitcher Anna Edwards singled before shortstop Tina Clark delivered the blow, a one-out double to right-center to plate both runs.
‘I was relaxed,’ Clark recalled. ‘I honestly didn’t even know I had a strike on me. It felt really good. I had a smooth swing, I think.’
Avon coach Ken Matuszak agreed that his team seemed relaxed to start.
‘Amherst looked a little nervous and we scored two runs early,’ Matuszak said. ‘We talked about that – whoever scores first has a huge advantage, and pitching and defense was just unbelievable today.’
Amherst had runners in scoring position in the first three innings, which included a one-out triple by catcher Kelsea McGraw, but the Comets could not create the big hit needed to bring runners home.
‘That’s been our Achilles’ heel,’ Amherst coach Lacey Reichert noted.
‘When we play good teams – the Brecksvilles, the Westlakes – we just don’t hit. You’re not going to beat a good team like Avon scoring one run. We turned it on there in the sixth, but it was too late.’
The Comets crafted three straight hits in the sixth inning for their sole run.
With two out, center fielder Ashlee Dahman doubled deep to right and scored on a single by first baseman Madison Spataro. Third baseman Ashley Cogdell followed with another single, but Avon center fielder Kaylee Morton gunned a flawless throw to the plate to prevent Spataro from scoring the tying run.
‘That was a great throw,’ Reichert said. ‘Our thinking was, with the struggles we had offensively up to that point, we’re going to make her come up with the ball clean, make a great throw home, catcher’s got to make a great play, and they did. They executed perfectly.’
Edwards ended the evening with seven strikeouts, surrendering four hits and one walk along the way.
‘She’s the senior and we’re just going to go with her and rely on our seniors,’ Matuszak said. ‘Our seniors are our catcher and our pitcher. Those are great places to have seniors.’
Amherst pitcher Zoe Beetler settled in after the first inning, allowing just one hit beyond that. She yielded four total hits and struck out three.
Amherst ends its season 19-8. Though the season ended sooner than preferred, Reichert is confident in a team that graduates just two seniors.
‘That’s always the positive, when you’re looking out there and you’re thinking everybody’s back except Beetler,’ Reichert said. ‘Not a whole lot of teams are looking out there saying that. Our young kids are very good, very talented. They play a lot of softball in the summer and we expect a lot of good things.’
Avon advances to the May 22 district final against fourth-seeded Westlake, which defeated Elyria, 8-3, May 21.
The Eagles defeated Westlake during the regular season, 2-0, amid a no-hitter by Edwards.
‘We’re going in confident against them,’ Edwards said.
