Errors costly for Warwick in first-place battle with PM

Warwick third baseman Julia Forsythe puts the tag on Penn Manor base runner Emma Grumbling in the second inning of Monday’s Section One clash. Photos by Kirk Neidermyer

Before even stepping to the plate in the bottom of the first inning Monday, Warwick knew it would have to score at least three runs.

Against one of the L-L League’s top pitchers in Penn Manor’s Brittany Hook.

It was a daunting task, for sure, and one the Lady Warriors could never quite complete.

In a game in which Warwick committed three errors, Hook and the Lady Comets went on to earn a 7-3 Section One win in a first-place battle in Lititz.

The victory gave Penn Manor (9-2 L-L, 10-2 overall) a one-game lead over the Lady Warriors (8-3 L-L, 9-4 overall) atop the standings.

“Amanda (Herr) gave such a good effort in the circle, and I would say there was, what, six unearned runs probably out of that game,” Warwick coach Mark Hough said. “And if you give Brit Hook any kind of lead, that’s going to be a tough one to come back, and we put a mountain in front of us by just making those errors.”

Hook scattered four hits, while striking out 13 and walking two in the complete-game win. She also helped her cause at the plate by going 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored from the three-spot.

The senior pitcher was in the middle of Penn Manor’s three-run first-inning rally, as the Lady Comets took a lead they never lost. Sophia Rineer worked a leadoff walk, and with one out, Hook reached when a pop-up at the edge of the outfield grass was dropped. Madison Trout then stroked an RBI single to center, Tori Hook followed with a sac fly, and Syd Duplissey’s RBI single made it 3-0.

Another Warwick error in the second inning led to Hook’s RBI base hit, stretching the lead to 4-0.

In the bottom of that frame, the Lady Warriors’ offense was in business when Danielle Jones led off with a six-pitch walk and Julia Forsythe got on board on a PM fielding error.

One out later, Marissa Treibley rocketed an RBI double to right, driving in Jones. Then when Katelyn Minney was hit by a pitch with two outs to load the bases, things looked promising. But Hook escaped trouble with an inning ending pop out

“Just one hit there, you figure if you get a couple of runs,” Hough said, “there’s a little bit more momentum in dugout, I think the kids start believing in themselves and we tell them that they have the ability. They hit the ball well today, but we can’t run the bases for them, we can’t make the plays, and they’ve got to start believing they can do it.”

Rineer reached on a two-out error in the fourth and scored on Hook’s Texas League RBI single to shallow left-center, and then Kate Green’s two-run single in the fifth pushed Penn Manor’s lead to 7-1.

Herr finished with six strikeouts and two walks, and allowed 10 hits in the game.

The Lady Comets’ defense finished with three errors of their own and Warwick capitalized in the bottom of the fifth. Leeann Runkle led off and was safe at first on an errant throw, then went to second on Kate Seibert’s bunt and scored on Herr’s RBI triple to right. Herr then crossed the plate on a wild pitch, cutting the deficit to 7-3.

But Hook closed out the inning with back-to-back K’s, then got a double play behind her in the sixth and recorded two more strikeouts in the seventh to seal the Lady Comets’ victory.

“I thought we were making some good contact,” Hough said, “but again, sometimes we need to adjust a little bit, maybe move back in the box and just shortening up those swings to just try to put some contact on it.”

*****

Last Thursday, Warwick dropped an 11-0 five-inning crossover loss to Section Two leader Solanco (10-0 L-L, 12-0 overall) in Quarryville.

The Mares jumped on top 2-0 in the first inning, then added four in the third and invoked the mercy rule with a five-run fifth-inning rally.

Katelyn Minney worked a two-out walk for the Lady Warriors in the third, and Catie Brubaker legged out a bunt single in the top of the fifth, but they couldn’t capitalize off of Solanco pitcher Hannah Phillips.