SOFTBALL: County rivalry brings out best in Western

By PEDRO VELAZCO
Tribune sportswriter

April 17, 2008 10:15 pm

— The Western Panther softball squad needed a little extra incentive to kick into gear after a sluggish start to the season. Thursday, the Panthers found their motivation in the form of a key county rival.
Western opened quickly, scoring three runs in the top of the first inning at Northwestern then made the runs stick in a 3-2 victory over the Purple Tigers in a non-conference game between Mid-Indiana Conference rivals.
“It’s not a conference game, but it’s always a tough game with them and they always bring it for us and us for them,” said Western coach Jim Clouse, whose team improved to 2-2. “It was great timing for our team as we’ve struggled a little bit through the first few games and we were hoping this kind of rivalry would bring out the best in us, and they certainly did that.”
The Panthers struck quickly. Brittani Snyder led off the game with a walk and moved to third on Lindsey Clouse’s single. Clouse took second on the throw in to the infield. After an out, Alisha Davenport delivered the game’s biggest hit with a two-run double down the third base line.
After that, Morgan Oilar reached on an error and Brooke Jackson singled to load the bases. A.J. Finch walked to drive in Western’s third run.
“We haven’t gotten off to great starts so far this year, and we had some really quality at-bats in the first inning, which is something we focused on hard after Wednesday’s game with Twin Lakes,” Jim Clouse said. “We felt like we didn’t have great at-bats and patient at-bats [against Twin Lakes] and we did a super job of that [Thursday], not only the first inning but we could have broken the game open in the [third] when we loaded the bases with no outs. [The Tigers] did a super job of getting out of that but we were much more patient and it made us a better team.”
For the Tigers (3-3), the three-run hole was one run more than they could dig out of.
“We aren’t notorious for that [bad starts] but it happened against Kokomo as well and it kind of took us out of that game,” NW coach Kerrie Kucholick said. “We came back [Thursday], we really battled and we’re getting better. We definitely are getting better and hopefully toward the middle and end of the season, we’ll become united as a team. That’s our big thing, we’re not working together as well as we should be.
“We work together very well in certain aspects and certain innings we look like a tremendous team, and then other innings it’s a 180. So we’re trying to find that in-between where we work together the whole game.”
Northwestern answered Western’s opening flurry with a run in the bottom of the first as Shelby Barnett tripled then took home when the throw to third got away. Northwestern scored a second run in the third when Bri Kuffell stole home after a wild pitch — but that was all the Tigers were able to push across against Western starter Brooke Pingleton.
Pingleton, the winning pitcher (2-0), worked into the seventh inning and allowed five hits, two runs (neither was earned) and two walks while striking out nine Tigers. Holding a 3-2 lead, she ran into trouble in the bottom of the seventh when Northwestern’s Blaire Bell and Natalie Appelhans opened the frame with singles. Lindsey Clouse took over in relief and got the final three outs for the save.
Jim Clouse said solid pitching was a big difference-maker.
“We pitched better, we limited our walks,” he said. “I think Brooke Pingleton maybe had a couple of walks but what a tremendous job she did. And then Lindsey came in and did a really good job of closing the door there.”
Lindsey Clouse led Western with a double and a single as well as a walk. Jackson added two singles.
Barnett led Northwestern with a triple and a single and pitched the final five innings in relief of starter Kourtney Kohl, who took the loss (1-1). Barnett allowed just one hit and one walk while striking out three.
Jim Clouse expects another spirited game when the teams meet at Western on May 6.
“Kerrie’s done a great job there and they’re going to be a force to be reckoned with,” the Panther coach said. “I think when our conference game comes around, they won’t forget [this game].”

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