POPLAR RIDGE - They're back.
Chet Susslin / The Citizen
Southern Cayuga junior Beth Rocker steals second after her second consecutive single as Candor shortstop Emily Woodin misses the tag.
Southern Cayuga junior Beth Rocker steals second after her second consecutive single as Candor shortstop Emily Woodin misses the tag.
With their first loss of the season out of the way, the Southern Cayuga softball team proved that it is back on track with two big wins over Candor in a doubleheader on Wednesday.
In what was Player Appreciation Night for the state's eighth-ranked team, the Chiefs' three seniors took center stage, not only after the game when they were honored, but in the team's 9-0 and 4-2 five inning wins as well.
“This was emotional,” Chiefs senior Kim Willis said. “These wins were important for us today, I'm really happy.”
While Willis, Julie Hewitt and Lindsey Doeing each played a big part in the back-to-back victories, it was junior Lianna May that earned both wins in the pitcher's circle.
May threw the entire first game, complete with seven strikeouts and one hit allowed.
The Indians didn't send more than three batters to the plate in any inning in the first contest, with catcher Kait Wilcox earning her team's only hit. After singling with one out in the second, Wilcox was called out after she made an advancement to second before the ball left May's hand. She got on base in the fifth on an infield error, but May and Hewitt caught her trying to steal home to end the game. Offensively, the Chiefs racked up nine hits, scoring four in the fourth to put the game away. Two Indians' errors contributed to the Chiefs' scorefest, but Southern Cayuga was simply able to pound the ball of off Indians thrower Ashley Green. Green fanned five batters and walked just one, but Indians' mental errors led the Chiefs to steal over 10 bases.
Doeing stole home to get the Chiefs started in the second.
Shortstop Felicia Allen and Audriana Murray each belted RBI singles to give the Chiefs an early 3-0 lead.
Doeing stole home again in the fourth and Murray again capped off the inning, but with a two-run single.
The Chiefs scored twice more in the fifth to complete the win. Beth Rocker went a perfect 2-for-2 in the game, with two runs scored. Allen also hit 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBIs.
The second contest didn't begin as well for Southern Cayuga, when the Chiefs made a couple of mental errors en route to two Candor runs. Kristen Cleveland hit in lead-off batter Emily Woodin and then Cleveland scored on a passed ball for the team's only scores of the game.
Julie Hewitt answered back in the bottom of the inning when she stole home to cut the lead in half. Doeing belted an RBI single in the third to bring in Hewitt for the tie, before Willis and Doeing each scored on passed balls.
After the first inning, May, who pitched three innings with two strikeouts, and Hewitt didn't allow another base runner until Woodin was hit by a pitch in the fifth inning. Doeing made three nice catches at first base for all three outs in the fifth to seal the win. Hewitt, with a mutitude of injuries, pitched the final two innings, striking out the side in the fourth.
As Chiefs coach Dave Hewitt recognized during his speech, Julie Hewitt's insistence on pushing through her injuries during her softball career is just one of the many reasons why the Chiefs have risen to a 33-7 record over the last two seasons. The team's wins have pushed them to a 17-1 record this season, with one regular season game remaining. Not too bad for a team that wasn't picked to play this well by many people, after graduating a large, and talented, 2007 class.
“This is the highest state ranking, ever, for a Southern Cayuga softball team,” Dave Hewitt told his team after the game.
“Last year, I sat here and said that senior class was the greatest class of seniors I had ever been a part of. I've been around this game forever, but this year, I would have to say that this is the best team, by far. What we've accomplished on this field with freshman, girls that have never played softball before, JV players that are on varsity for the first time - I would have to say that in my book, this is the best team this school has ever had.”
The trio of 2008 Chiefs grads have catapulted the team to a 45-13 record since they've been on varsity.
“I feel like bawling, but I don't want to embarrass myself,” Doeing said. “We tried so hard not to, because we didn't want to make Dave cry.”
Even though her father poked some fun at her in his senior tribute, Julie Hewitt was touched by most of his words.
“That felt pretty good,” she said. “I know when we first started this season, it was rough - we thought it could have been a really long season, but once we got started, we were good. We take this seriously, we're not just here for fun.”
Next up for the Chiefs is Class B Waverly for their season finale.
Luckily for the team's seniors, they will likely get at least one more game on their own windy field when the playoffs come around in two weeks. Not that they would be satisfied with just a sectional title.
“We're going to states - that's my goal,” Julie Hewitt said. “I tell (my teammates) every day, 'We're going to states'.”
In what was Player Appreciation Night for the state's eighth-ranked team, the Chiefs' three seniors took center stage, not only after the game when they were honored, but in the team's 9-0 and 4-2 five inning wins as well.
“This was emotional,” Chiefs senior Kim Willis said. “These wins were important for us today, I'm really happy.”
While Willis, Julie Hewitt and Lindsey Doeing each played a big part in the back-to-back victories, it was junior Lianna May that earned both wins in the pitcher's circle.
May threw the entire first game, complete with seven strikeouts and one hit allowed.
The Indians didn't send more than three batters to the plate in any inning in the first contest, with catcher Kait Wilcox earning her team's only hit. After singling with one out in the second, Wilcox was called out after she made an advancement to second before the ball left May's hand. She got on base in the fifth on an infield error, but May and Hewitt caught her trying to steal home to end the game. Offensively, the Chiefs racked up nine hits, scoring four in the fourth to put the game away. Two Indians' errors contributed to the Chiefs' scorefest, but Southern Cayuga was simply able to pound the ball of off Indians thrower Ashley Green. Green fanned five batters and walked just one, but Indians' mental errors led the Chiefs to steal over 10 bases.
Doeing stole home to get the Chiefs started in the second.
Shortstop Felicia Allen and Audriana Murray each belted RBI singles to give the Chiefs an early 3-0 lead.
Doeing stole home again in the fourth and Murray again capped off the inning, but with a two-run single.
The Chiefs scored twice more in the fifth to complete the win. Beth Rocker went a perfect 2-for-2 in the game, with two runs scored. Allen also hit 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBIs.
The second contest didn't begin as well for Southern Cayuga, when the Chiefs made a couple of mental errors en route to two Candor runs. Kristen Cleveland hit in lead-off batter Emily Woodin and then Cleveland scored on a passed ball for the team's only scores of the game.
Julie Hewitt answered back in the bottom of the inning when she stole home to cut the lead in half. Doeing belted an RBI single in the third to bring in Hewitt for the tie, before Willis and Doeing each scored on passed balls.
After the first inning, May, who pitched three innings with two strikeouts, and Hewitt didn't allow another base runner until Woodin was hit by a pitch in the fifth inning. Doeing made three nice catches at first base for all three outs in the fifth to seal the win. Hewitt, with a mutitude of injuries, pitched the final two innings, striking out the side in the fourth.
As Chiefs coach Dave Hewitt recognized during his speech, Julie Hewitt's insistence on pushing through her injuries during her softball career is just one of the many reasons why the Chiefs have risen to a 33-7 record over the last two seasons. The team's wins have pushed them to a 17-1 record this season, with one regular season game remaining. Not too bad for a team that wasn't picked to play this well by many people, after graduating a large, and talented, 2007 class.
“This is the highest state ranking, ever, for a Southern Cayuga softball team,” Dave Hewitt told his team after the game.
“Last year, I sat here and said that senior class was the greatest class of seniors I had ever been a part of. I've been around this game forever, but this year, I would have to say that this is the best team, by far. What we've accomplished on this field with freshman, girls that have never played softball before, JV players that are on varsity for the first time - I would have to say that in my book, this is the best team this school has ever had.”
The trio of 2008 Chiefs grads have catapulted the team to a 45-13 record since they've been on varsity.
“I feel like bawling, but I don't want to embarrass myself,” Doeing said. “We tried so hard not to, because we didn't want to make Dave cry.”
Even though her father poked some fun at her in his senior tribute, Julie Hewitt was touched by most of his words.
“That felt pretty good,” she said. “I know when we first started this season, it was rough - we thought it could have been a really long season, but once we got started, we were good. We take this seriously, we're not just here for fun.”
Next up for the Chiefs is Class B Waverly for their season finale.
Luckily for the team's seniors, they will likely get at least one more game on their own windy field when the playoffs come around in two weeks. Not that they would be satisfied with just a sectional title.
“We're going to states - that's my goal,” Julie Hewitt said. “I tell (my teammates) every day, 'We're going to states'.”
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