Calm Collene: Buckeye Central's sophomore ace pitches gem in win over Crestline
CRESTLINE - With runners on first and second after consecutive singles in the bottom of the seventh, Buckeye Central sophomore Grace Collene remained calm in the circle.
The Buckettes were up 7-6 over Crestline and were seeking their first win streak in nearly two years but had to find a way out of the jam. Collene forced a pop-up behind home plate then proceeded to strike out back-to-back batters for the final outs.
"The pressure was on, but we pushed through," Collene said. "I just knew where they had trouble hitting and tried to pitch there."
Crestline struck first when Maddie Engler led off with a double, stole third then scored off a wild pitch for a 1-0 lead.
After being sat down in order to start the game, Buckeye Central responded with a trio of runs in the second as freshman Adrienne Jury doubled and senior Katelyn Best was walked. Makayla Martin then stepped up to the plate and reached on an error that allowed Jury and Best to score, Martin advanced to third and shorty after scored on a wild pitch.
Junior Faye Betts was walked in the third, stole second and then was driven in by senior Nora Lane who belted a double to left field. Crestline responded with two runs in the bottom as Engler was brought in by Brooklyn Gregory's belted single and she then scored herself on a wild pitch after stealing third.
Each team added a run in the fifth with Aleyse Siefert scoring for the Buckettes and Brooklyn Gregory rounding the bases for Crestline. And the scoring continued in the sixth as Zoey Hoskins put Buckeye Central ahead 6-4 in the top before runs from Brooklynne Sargent and Engler brought the teams level heading into the seventh.
With one out, Jury stepped up and drove a single into shallow right field. Collene was then walked and the pair stole second and third on a wild pitch that was slowly gathered along the back fence. Jury noticed the hesitation and took off for home scoring what ended up being the winning run.
"We've been in some close ones this year," BC coach Todd Messmer said. "At Mohawk and a few others, we like to make them close and exciting evidently."
Collene finished with nine strikeouts and stranded seven runners on base.
"She stayed strong, she's pitching great this year," Messmer said. "She is definitely the leader of the pitching staff. She came through when she needed to."
Crestline coach Jackie Flinders praised her opponent's poise in the circle, too.
"Buckeye Central has quite a few younger kids who have brought that program back up to a good spot," she said. "Grace has been playing travel ball and pitching since she was a little kid, and she pitched a great game. Even when we were hitting the ball, she didn't crumble and did a good job handling that. And her team did a good job fighting back."
Jury led the Buckettes' offense with two hits and two runs, while Siefert, Lane and Allie Pifher each recoded a hit.
"It was a team win," Messmer said. "Everyone did the little things they needed to do. It was a great win for us."
It was a notable win for the program, too, as the Buckettes improved to 4-5 on the year. Four wins matches the most in a season they've had since winning 10 in 2015.
"It's definitely going to give us confidence for the rest of the season," Collene said.
And the two-game win streak is the team's first since sweeping Mansfield St. Peter's almost two years ago to the day.
"We're excited," Messmer said. "We have goals this year and this is one of them, trying to get on a win streak before the postseason. We have some good teams coming up so there's a lot ahead of us."
Conversely, the Bulldogs have just one win on the year. A stark contrast from the goals set in the preseason.
"There still are high expectations," Flinders said. "If this isn't a wake up call, I don't think they're going to have one this year. You can only give them so many opportunities to work and get better. Some girls I give homework and they look at me like I'm crazy. Whatever they're struggling with, I can send them videos to help."
New faces in key positions leads to mistakes in games. While they're not ideal, Flinders hopes her team learns from them in order to avoid making more in the future.
"They're young and they'll learn," she said. "But you have to practice when you're not here, you have to practice when nobody is looking and when someone isn't on you 24/7."
Lack of bodies has played a role in the slow start as well.
"We're a small team," Flinders said. "We were missing our first basemen, I have a third baseman playing with a broken leg and she doesn't complain. We've adjusted to (injuries) and catcher is a spot I'm trying to fill. She's a freshman who is learning, but she has never caught anyone even close to the caliber of Brooklyn."
Gregory pitched a gem for the Bulldogs striking out eight, allowing five hits and stranding four on base.
"She pitched good enough for us to win and hit good enough for us to win," Flinders said. "It was just errors, and they know that. But you take advantage of it. They saw our weak spot, we just have to keep working on it."
Engler had three runs, two stolen bases, one hit and two walks, Gregory scored twice with three RBI and two hits, Kendell Huffman had three hits and an RBI, Cadence Bedson two hits, Sargent one hit and one run.
"I want these girls to know I'm not going to give up," Flinders said. "I'm not going to walk away, I'm not going to leave.
"I'm not going anywhere unless I get fired or die."
419-617-6018
Twitter: @Zachary_Holden
This article originally appeared on Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum: Buckeye Central softball edges out Crestline in county clash
