The bee-infested dugouts didn’t help the Galion fast-pitch softball team, who struggled to score any runs against Buckeye Valley in Mid Ohio Athletic Conference action on Wednesday.
But the Lady Tigers’ defense with losing pitcher Emily Sedmak held the Lady Barons to two runs for the entire game.
Going into the game, Galion made last minute changes to the lineup in order to overcome its struggles at batting.
“We wanted to shake it up a bit,” Galion head coach Doug Hunt said.
But the Tigers didn’t have an answer for winning pitcher Kasey Morris who struck out 13, walked two and gave up one hit. Galion was not able to get on base in the first inning, while Buckeye Valley’s Allison Fathbruckner crossed the home plate for the team’s first run.
Morris grabbed three strikeouts in the second inning after five batters got up to the plate from the Galion dugout. But, at that point, the Tigers defense started clicking with three consecutive outs.
Galion’s defense became the highlight of the game. After Fathbruckner amused the audience by sending a foul ball towards Buckeye Valley head coach Christine Crooks, who had to duck, the Tigers got her out at second base. While Barons’ Logan Hatcher’s flyball allowed Olivia Schick to cross the home plate, it allowed the Tigers to pull off an 8-6 double play.
The Tigers were able to pull off another double play in the fourth inning. Hunt said the team is turning around defensively.
“It was very encouraging,” he said. “[But] we should be able to overcome a two-run deficit.”
Galion falls to 3-9 and Buckeye Valley improves to 8-4 on the season.
