Top Eight Reasons Wolverines Defeat West Springfield 3-1

by Cindy Jackson

#8:  Defense Wins Games.

It may not be a glamorous but it’s got teeth. If you have a team that makes ZERO errors like West Potomac did Friday night – that team will most likely win.

This was the best West Po’s infield has played all season. Nikki Minnis held on to a bullet line drive in the bottom of the fourth to get the out. Grace Moery proved she was reliable at second base, time and again getting the 4-3 out at first. Raven Williams snagged several grounders for the unassisted out at first.

#7  I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for ….. cupcakes?

There would be no stopping for ice cream on the way home Friday night, but if this team pulled out the win, there were some snazzy cupcakes waiting for them to help Raven celebrate her 17^th birthday. Happy Birthday, Raven!

#6 Unearned Runs Count Just as Much as Earned Runs

To be quite honest, I’m still trying to figure out the difference between the two – especially when it’s on  a wild pitch (if you understand this, please explain it to me sometime). According to Game Changer (which is only as good as the guy doing the inputting – and we have a pretty good guy), West Springfield’s only run was earned.  West Po had two earned runs, and one un-earned. Does it really matter? Nope. A run is a run. (Just like a snake is a snake … it doesn’t matter if it’s a big snake or little snake … it’s still a very scary snake.)

#5 All ‘bout that Base, ‘bout that Base

Baserunners are important. You know the saying “you can’t hit the ball if you don’t swing?” Well the same is true for scoring. You can’t score if you don’t have baserunners. West Po had only four hits Friday night (more on that later), but they managed to put 12 runners on base. In comparison, West Springfield only had 2 base runners, and no base runners after the 3^rd inning.

#4 We Ain’t Afraid of No Fences!  

Catching a fly ball up against the fence is something every fielder struggles with. Not West Po. Not Friday night.

Catcher Torie Bolger made a nice catch on a high foul pop-up in the bottom of the second. This ball was way over near the first base dugout. Torie managed to spot the ball, come up from her crouch, throw off her mask, and make the catch up against the fence.

Maddie Miller made two similar plays in the bottom of the 7^th (though she wasn’t crouching and she wasn’t wearing a mask). With 1 out, Maddie made a running catch past the foul line, up against the fence to get the out. Then with 2 outs, Maddie made a running catch past the foul line, up against the fence to get the out (deja’ vu). Game over.  

#3  Hits & Runs

West Po had four hits Friday night, the first of those coming in the top of the second. Annabelle Miller dropped one in the gap in Right-Center field and got herself a single. In the top of the fourth, pitcher Jayne Orleans hit a zinger to right field that sliced at the last second, causing the right fielder to miss it. Jayne easily made it to second. Maddie then walked. With two on, Torie Bolger drove a hard line drive to left field, scoring Elizabeth Drotos (courtesy running for Jayne) and got herself the first (and only) RBI of the evening for West Po.

Things got exciting in the bottom of the 6^th. Jayne got her second hit of the night, lining one up the middle. Maddie walked again. Runners had advanced on a passed ball and were on second and third when Annabelle walked on a wild pitch. With some “creative” West Po base running, West Springfield got confused and threw behind the lead runner, scoring Elizabeth, advancing Maddie to 3^rd, and Annabelle to second. (Did you follow all that?)

That was it for West Po hits, but they still managed to put up another run in the top of the 7^th. Grace Moery had an amazing “good at bat.” After fouling off many balls, she won the battle and took the free pass to first. She advanced all the way to home on passed balls and wild pitches to get West Po their final run on the night.

#2 Pitching Matters

Jayne Orleans has been on fire these past two games. Friday night Jayne faced 23 batters (the minimum amount she could face in a complete game is 21). In comparison, the other pitcher faced 33 batters. Jayne threw 85 pitches that night, with 58 first strikes (holy batman!). The Spartan pitcher threw 141 pitches. Jayne had 8 strike outs and no walks. She retired the final 13 batters to end the game.

#1  Teamwork Creates Synergy – Where the Sum is Greater than the Parts

For the past two games, West Po has worked together as a team, capitalizing on their strengths while minimizing their weaknesses. This is an important – and sometimes overlooked – aspect of a successful team. The way the girls worked together and complemented each other’s efforts made them a force to be reckoned with.