COLONY — It could have very well been a clean sweep of Oswego for the Crest High softball team at home Monday.
That’s because the Lady Lancers (3-15) were leading 4-3 in the top of the seventh in game one before surrendering the lead in a 5-4 loss. Crest then answered by scoring 16 runs across the fifth and sixth innings and held Oswego to only one run for a 17-6 victory.
Game one
Crest went ahead by one run in the bottom of the fourth inning, 2-1. Oswego then responded with a run in each of the fifth and sixth innings while the Lady Lancers also scored one run in each of those innings.
With the Lady Lancers leading 4-3 heading to the seventh inning, the Indians brought two runs across home plate for the 5-4 lead in the top of the seventh. Crest had no answer for Oswego’s late comeback.
“I hope it pushed them a lot and then they threw the same pitcher in the second game,” Crest head coach Kelly Ball said. “I think they were ready that second time, they knew what was coming, knew what to expect and they were seeing the ball well.”
Kaylee Allen led Crest with two RBIs while McKenna Hammond smacked two hits and drove in another run. Haylee Beckmon and Delaney Ramsey each had one hit.
Kinley Edgerton started in the circle for Crest and threw 5.2 innings, allowing two runs on eight hits with six strikeouts. Liliana Blaufuss then pitched in relief and tossed 1.1 innings, allowing two runs on three hits and striking out two.
Oswego’s Abby Strickland knocked home two runs and had two hits while Aleyna Charles had three hits.
Game two
Things didn’t look hopeful for the Lady Lancers early in game two when Oswego took a 5-1 lead after the third inning.
But Crest responded with 14 runs in the fifth to take a 15-6 lead before scoring two more runs in the sixth for the 17-6 win.
“It feels good but it’s also really good for these girls to see what it’s like to actually be on the top side of it and not the ones sitting there watching everyone else,” said Ball. “It’s a feeling of what we’re doing in practice is actually coming together and the girls are starting to click together and figure it out.”
The 14-run fifth inning for the Lady Lancers was sparked by Sydney Stephens scoring on a wild pitch. Stephens then singled home a run later in the inning to put Crest ahead, 7-6. Blaufuss also had a three-run double to give Crest a 15-6 edge to end the fifth.
Blaufuss started in the circle for Crest and was hit with six runs on seven hits in five innings. At the plate, Beckmon drove home a team-high five runs while Blaufuss plated another four. Nilges drove home two and Kayla Hermreck had a team-high four hits. Beckmon and Nilges each had three hits.
