Panama Starts Strong In 9-1 Win Over Frewsburg
Panama’s Cassie Lyon slides safely into third after tagging up on a fly ball and beats a late throw to Frewsburg’s Sydney Gregory during Saturday’s CCAA Division 2 West game at the Frewsburg Sports Complex. P-J photo by Matt Spielman
Frewsburg’s Taytum Jimerson prepares to throw to first during Saturday’s CCAA Division 2 West softball game against Panama at the Frewsburg Sports Complex. P-J photo by Matt Spielman
Panama’s Cassie Lyon slides safely into third after tagging up on a fly ball and beats a late throw to Frewsburg’s Sydney Gregory during Saturday’s CCAA Division 2 West game at the Frewsburg Sports Complex. P-J photo by Matt Spielman
Frewsburg’s Taytum Jimerson prepares to throw to first during Saturday’s CCAA Division 2 West softball game against Panama at the Frewsburg Sports Complex. P-J photo by Matt Spielman
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FREWSBURG -- Panama scored seven runs on seven hits in the opening two innings and capped an up-and-down first week of the season with a 9-1 Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Athletic Association Division 2 West victory over Frewsburg on Saturday at the Frewsburg Sports Complex.
No. 3 hitter Kylie Morgan had a pair of hits and two runs scored during the 7-0 outburst. The junior finished with three hits in the game for the Panthers, who improved to 2-1 overall and 1-0 in the league after splitting with nonleague opponents Pine Valley and Forestville.
"It's a big confidence boost. We ended up beating Pine Valley 12-11 … it was ugly, but it was a win. … We ended up losing to Forestville," Panama head coach Tammy Hosier said. "To come out with this type of win … hopefully they now will know 'I can hit.'"
Leadoff hitter Sarah Harvey and No. 2 batter Corinne Hovey opened the first inning by reaching first on errors after both bunted.
"Sarah came up to me before the game and said 'I haven't been able to get on my first time up, can I bunt?'" Hosier said. "Corinne is fast and left-handed … so that worked out."
Morgan then followed with a line drive up the middle that hit Bears pitcher Teghan Trocki and went for an infield single. After a strikeout, eighth-grader Jessica Lyon hit a sacrifice fly to center field and Kylie Range followed with a two-run single.
"That definitely took a toll. Teghan is a gamer, she's tough. … She gutted it out," Frewsburg head coach Rich Bianco said of the line drive. "I think it rattled her in that inning, but outside of that first inning … we gave up four runs the rest of the way."
Panama wasn't done yet. Sharayah Fuller hit an RBI double and went to third on a wild pitch before Peyton Range hit an RBI single to center field.
"That's been our weakness is hitting. We've tried to work on it, but it's so hard to simulate live action," Hosier said. "That was amazing. It was so good to see."
The Panthers added on two more runs in the second inning thanks to three hits and Frewsburg's fourth error of the game. Harvey led off with a single off the center-field fence and after a strikeout, Morgan hit a double to right field. Kaitlyn Horton then hit an RBI single to left field and Morgan scored on the play when the Bears throw in from the outfield went out of play.
Sophomore Emma Cooper and Lyon combined to throw a four-hitter with three strikeouts and just one walk for Panama.
"Emma and Jess both worked really hard over the winter," Hosier said. "They are both ready whenever they need to come in."
Cooper threw the first four innings, allowing three hits and a run while striking out one. Lyon hurled the final three innings, allowing one hit and a walk while striking out two.
"We alternate, but this year -- we didn't do this today -- but we've decided if one starts and is doing well, they are going to complete the game," Hosier added. "When we were watching them in preseason, they were doing so well, that we decided they need that opportunity to go the whole way."
Trocki settled down after the initial two innings to throw a complete game with seven strikeouts and two walks. Just four of the Panthers' 11 hits came in the final five innings and Frewsburg committed eight errors in the game.
The Bears made it 7-1 in the bottom of the second inning. Gracie Hyldahl reached on an error and ended up at second on the play. Taytum Jimerson laid down a sacrifice bunt to get Hyldahl to third and Kaylee Cappa followed with an RBI groundout.
Frewsburg left the bases loaded in the bottom of the fifth inning after Cappa reached on an error, Braelyn Stelmack picked up a one-out infield single and Mackenzie Martin walked with two outs, but Lyon got out of the inning with a fly ball to center field.
"I think we were just out in front of the ball. We were just not being patient, letting the ball come into us. … Other than (three) outs, we were putting the bat on the ball, we just didn't get that timely hit," Bianco said. "We left a lot of runners on the bases. We just didn't get that single to the gap with a couple of runners on that we needed to kind of spark us."
Panama made it 8-1 in the sixth inning when Peyton Range singled to right field and went all the way to third on an error. Cassie Lyon then hit an RBI grounder that ended in an error.
In the top of the seventh, Morgan reached on an error, went to second on a one-out walk, advanced to third on an infield single and scored on a bases-loaded walk to Peyton Range.
The Panthers are scheduled to host nonleague Falconer on Monday and Frewsburg hosts league foe Westfield on Tuesday.
"Credit to Panama," Bianco said. "They hit the ball, played good defense and got good pitching."