The Crestwood Red Devils’ softball team needed a few innings to find its timing at the plate and finally responded but it was too little too late as they lost their season-opener against Chagrin Valley Conference foe Cuyahoga Heights 6-3 on the road last Saturday afternoon.
“I am sure there are a lot of factors involved in it,” said Coach Matt Helm. “We just came out a little too slow and a little too off I guess to really finish it off and catch up.”
On Saturday, the Red Devils battled from behind throughout the game as Cuyahoga Heights struck quickly for four runs on only two hits, as junior Grace Harper struggled with her command in the first two frames, issuing three walks and hitting a batter.
Junior right fielder Skylar Sane plated the game’s first run when she hit an infield RBI-single to third base and junior second baseman Camryn Barnes plated another run on a RBI-groundout to shortstop in the first inning, pushing Cuyahoga Heights ahead 2-0.
The Red Wolves once again capitalized on some free baserunners in the second frame as sophomore first Nevaeh Reyes drilled a two-run double to center field, doubling the lead to 4-0.
According to the third-year coach, Harper was trying to be a little too precise in locating her pitches.
“Instead of challenging the hitters, they get to that point where they are trying to hit the tight spots and they are just missing,” he said.
Crestwood hitters managed only three hits in the first five innings against Red Wolves’ sophomore Sophia Meklemburg, as her slow pitches disrupted the Red Devils’ timing at the plate.
“All of our scrimmages and all of our practices have all been against solid fast ball pitchers, so we had not seen anything like that up to that point, so unfortunately it took a bit to adjust and once we adjusted to it, we were actually getting the bat on the ball,” he noted.
The Red Devils finally broke through in the top of the sixth inning, erupting for three runs on three hits and one walk as freshman catcher Jocelyn Johnson connected on a RBI-triple to center field, followed by a RBI-single to left field off the bat of Harper. Senior center fielder Audrey Julian delivered a RBI-double to center field, trimming the Red Wolves’ lead to 4-3.
According to Helm, it was nice to see his squad flash some extra-base power, as it was something that had eluded the team for most of last season, but he expects that to be reversed this year with the arrival of several talented power-hitting underclassmen.
As soon as Crestwood cut into the lead, the Red Wolves responded by scoring two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning as sophomore center fielder Brooklynn Domzalski hit an infield RBI-single to shortstop and junior shortstop Ally Williams worked a bases-loaded walk, extending Cuyahoga Heights’ lead to 6-3.
Crestwood threatened in the top of the seventh by loading the bases with one out but could not manufacture the clutch hit, ultimately falling in the season-opener.
Although the Red Devils opened their season with a loss, Helm said that the expectation is there for a season filled with more highlights than lowlights as the program returns seven starters from last year and will be bolstered by a big freshmen class, giving the program enough numbers to field a junior varsity team again as they lacked the players to do so last year.
“They are just not at that level yet based on the scrimmages, but they absolutely will be and the pitching down at junior varsity level right now is good and there are a couple of them that will be getting some relief and starts throughout the season just because they are good, we just need them to get more experienced,” he added.
In addition to having a deep crop of underclassmen brimming at the lower levels, Helm noted that already four freshmen have been selected to receive varsity action including Johnson and freshman Jillian Hayes.
“It is a relief to finally have all of these classes come through this way, it is all of the way down to the youth program where all of their teams are full,” Helm added. “It is nice to finally have this.”
Following a road game against Lake Center Christian on Wednesday evening and another road game against Struthers on Thursday night, the Red Devils will return to the diamond for their home opener when they welcome CVC Valley Division foe Wickliffe to Mantua on Monday night at 5 p.m.
