The Manchester Enterprise
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Skid continues as Flying Dutch go winless in Blissfield tourney
Walks continue to hurt Mancheseter as slide extends to 10 games
By Ed Patino, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: May 1, 2008
The bats came to life at the end, but it was too late for the Manchester varsity softball team to get back on the winning track.
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A seventh-inning rally fell short as the Flying Dutch were dealt a 9-7 loss to the Dexter Dreadnaughts in the third game of a tournament April 26 at Blissfield.
Manchester (2-10, 0-4 Cascades) went winless in the tournament, dropping a 10-1 decision to the host Royals and falling 15-1 to the Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central Kestrels earlier in the day.
The Dutch have lost 10 straight games after opening the season with victories over Adrian Madison and Sand Creek.
Trailing 9-3 with one inning remaining against Dexter, the Dutch didn't go quietly. Manchester plated four runs in the top of the seventh inning and pulled to within two, but was unable to complete the rally.
Manchester opened the scoring in the top of the first inning, but the Dreadnaughts stormed back with five in the second. Three more runs in the bottom of the third gave Dexter an 8-1 lead. The Dutch answered with two in the top of the fourth, but the Dreadnaughts added a run of their own in the bottom half of the frame.
Amanda Barker went 2-for-4 at the plate with an RBI and two runs scored to lead the Dutch, while Jenny Stautz was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Roxanne Rickert was 2-for-3 with an RBI and run and Julie Fielder added two hits and an RBI. Stephanie Preston and Hannah Caszatt each collected a hit and scored a run for Manchester.
Rickert was charged with the loss in the circle, allowing eight runs (seven earned) on six hits with two strikeouts in three innings. Stautz threw the remaining three innings, striking out two and not allowing a hit.
The Dutch fell into an early hole against Blissfield in the opener and never recovered. The Royals plated three runs in the bottom of the first inning, then tacked on five more in the second to build an 8-0 lead. Manchester's lone run came in the top of the fourth when Preston got on base with a double, then was driven home by a Rickert single. Blissfield ended any comeback hopes by adding two runs in the sixth inning.
Rickert finished 2-for-4 in the game to lead Manchester. Preston was 1-for-4, while Barker, Stautz and Emily Lobbestael each added a hit.
Stautz pitched six innings and took the loss for the Dutch. The sophomore allowed 10 runs (nine earned) on eight hits. She recorded eight strikeouts, but walked seven batters.
Walks hurt the Dutch again in the second game against Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central. The Manchester pitchers held the Kestrels to five hits in the game, but combined to walk 13 batters.
SMCC put the game out of reach early, scoring nine runs in the third inning to build a 12-0 lead. The Dutch plated a run in the bottom of the fourth when Lobbestael scored Rickert with an RBI single. However, the Kestrels answered with three in the top of the fifth, then shut down Manchester in the bottom half of the frame to force the mercy rule.
Lobbestael, Preston and Taylor Parks had the lone hits for the Dutch. Stautz started the game in the circle and took the loss, allowing seven earned runs on five hits, striking out four but walking eight. Parks walked five batters during her appearance in the circle, resulting in five runs for SMCC.
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