Baker Homers as Central Wins 8-0 Over Cameron
Photo by Cody Tomer Trending
WHEELING -- Wheeling Central softball coach Buck Davidson is loving how his team is approaching every at-bat this season.
The Maroon Knights continued to impress their coach at the plate on Wednesday when they handed visiting Cameron an 8-0 defeat at Ben's Field at the I-470 Sports Complex.
With Central already leading 2-0, it separated itself in the second inning as the offense drew five walks and a hit-by-pitch to create a 5-0 cushion.
After three straight walks to start the frame, Maddy Moore drove in a run by getting hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Josie Frizzell and Ashlee Baker followed with RBI walks.
"They trust themselves at the plate," Davidson said. "I'm happy with them as long as they don't take called third strikes. Even if they go seven or eight pitches deep and strikeout, that's still a pretty good at-bat."
Before Central's patience made for a three-run second, Baker provided fireworks in the first as she belted a two-run home run -- a laser over the left field fence for the game's first two runs.
"She swings a good bat," Davidson said of Baker. "You have to keep her calm in there because sometimes she tries to hit it too hard but when she slows herself down and gets a nice, smooth swing -- it was a line drive no doubter out of here."
With a 5-0 upper hand, it was pitcher Brooke Reynolds who went to work in the circle and fired a two-hit masterpiece. She struck out a pair and walked a pair to earn the win.
"Brooke pitched really well," Davidson said. "It was only her third game this year because of the rain but she does a really good job for us."
The Maroon Knights tallied two runs in the fourth on a two-run single to center by pinch-hitter Natalie Yates and Frizzell put the finishing touches on the triumph with a game-ending RBI single to set the mercy rule into effect.
Jensen Rine garnered two hits for the Knights, while Jocelyn Shaw and Ava Grubler added one.
Cameron's lone hits came from Ashlynn VanTassell and Mattilynn Mason.
Mason struck out four and walked seven in the start, before giving way to Audrey Bock in the fourth.
Despite the loss, Cameron coach Erika Whipkey was happier with her team's defensive performance as her team only suffered two errors.
"I think we hung in there with them the first couple of innings," Whipkey said. "We've been working and we're still getting better and better every day. We're trying to make fewer errors and I thought we did a good job of that (Wednesday)."
Wheeling Central 8, Cameron 0
C - Mason lp (4K, 7BB), Bock (4) (0K, 1BB) and VanTassell, Pekula (4).
W - Reynolds wp (2K, 2BB) and Hanson. Baker HR, 3rbi; Moore rbi; Frizzell S, 2rbi; Rine 2S; Yates S, 2rbi.
Cam 000 00 -- 0 2 2
WC 230 21 -- 8 7 0