Cardinal Huskies’ softball Coach Haley Adams acknowledged that the team’s non-conference schedule has been more difficult than usual so to challenge her team. Cardinal was bested by Geauga County rival Kenston in an extra-innings affair, losing 4-2 in nine innings last Thursday at Middlefield.
“Our coaching staff talked a lot about it at the end of the game,” said the five-year coach. “We just reassured our girls last night that in close games like that, it will only make us better for conference play but also to make a deep run in the tournament and as we talk a lot to our girls.”
The Huskies (4-5, 1-1) held a 2-1 lead in the top of the seventh inning but Kenston rallied to tie the score with one out. After junior first baseman Aurora Young led off with a double to center field, she stole third base. Junior pitcher Maggie Grant made an errant throw to third base and Young scored on the throwing error to tie the game at 2-2.
“I have all of the confidence in the world for Maggie to make that play every single time,” Adams noted. “Sometimes the throw just gets away from you but again it is not just one play. I think it is a learning curve for us. Maggie pitched a great game for the entire game and really kept us in it.”
Grant prevented Kenston from scoring anymore runs but the Huskies’ offense could not respond in the bottom half of the seventh, sending the game to extra innings. The Bombers loaded the bases in the top of the ninth and capitalized on another Cardinal defensive miscue. Kenston scored the go-ahead run on a passed ball and Young scored from second base as the throw to the plate was off the mark, allowing the Bombers to take a 4-2 advantage.
Despite having two runners reach base in the bottom of the ninth, the Huskies’ offense remained quiet and ultimately fell short, suffering its third consecutive non-conference loss.
Against junior pitcher Quinn Robertson, the Huskies only recorded five hits, marking the third straight game that their offensive woes continued.
Adams acknowledged that Cardinal has faced some stout pitching in the last several games but added that her team has made good contact, but the ball has not dropped their way yet.
“We are hitting right to the defense right now,” she noted. “Obviously that happens some games, sometimes we hit just straight to people, and we struggle to string a couple of hits along for us and the girls are doing a great job too.”
The Huskies had not scored a run in their previous two non-conference games before the duel against Kenston on Thursday, but sophomore center fielder Ivy Kaminski snapped the scoreless drought by bringing home a run when freshman shortstop Mira Jarzambek committed a fielding error on a groundball, and Cardinal to tied the score at 1-1.
Sophomore shortstop Emily Pleva pushed the Huskies ahead when she blasted her first varsity home run to left field in the bottom of the third to take a 2-1 edge.
Grant stifled Kenston’s offense for the next 3.1 innings of work before the Bombers ultimately rallied and made the Huskies pay for some untimely defensive lapses.
Despite the difficult stretch of play so far, Adams said that facing adversity is something that this team is accustomed to based on their previous experience during the volleyball and basketball seasons. Despite slow starts in each sport, the volleyball team persevered to capture an Ohio High School Athletic Association Division VII district banner and the girls’ basketball team finished as the OHSAA Division VII district runners-up.
“These girls love the sense of a challenge, and they are not going to give up after a couple of losses like we have had,” said Adams. “Really this last week is putting us in great preparation, and I think I can say this from all of us as a coaching staff, our girls definitely play better when their backs are against the wall.”
Adams added that the Huskies have also benefited from returning seven of their nine varsity starters from last year but they are still a young squad, with only three seniors and one junior on the roster. Cardinal has actually gotten younger by adding five freshmen to the varsity program, giving the squad more depth after several seasons of struggling to field complete rosters in Adams’ early years as the head coach.
After a home game against Chagrin Valley Conference Valley Division foe Kirtland on Wednesday, the Huskies will host Lakeside in a crossover CVC dual on Friday in Middlefield at 4:30 p.m.
