Through the first four games of the season, the Streetsboro Rockets’ softball team has been hit or miss. It was a big miss for the Rockets when they lost 12-3 to Cuyahoga Falls last Friday evening at Veteran Field.
“I told the girls that they did not show up in warm-ups,” said Coach LeRoy Moore. “We struggled in warm-ups and were not crisp in everything and it just carried over into the game. We had several errors in the first inning.”
Through the first four innings, the Rockets (2-2, 1-1) only recorded two hits against senior right-hander Julee Phillips and trailed 4-0 entering the top of the fifth.
Junior right-hander Sydney Burfield had worked in and out of trouble throughout the game to keep the Rockets within striking distance, but Cuyahoga Falls engineered a big inning in the fifth frame.
After the first two batters reached base, sophomore shortstop Mariah Bray hit a RBI-single down the left line, pushing the lead to 5-0 but Burfield retired the next two batters and only needed one more out to escape any further damage. She hit sophomore catcher Mackenzie Miller to load the bases and sophomore right fielder Ashlyn Walker delivered an infield RBI-single to third base, extending the Black Tigers’ advantage to 6-0.
Phillips delivered the dagger when she crushed a grand slam to right-center field, increasing the lead to 10-0 and ending Burfield’s day.
The first-year coach acknowledged that the Cuyahoga Falls batters relentless chipped away at Burfield before delivering the big blow by scoring six runs in the fifth inning.
“They were swinging and putting the ball in play,” Moore added. “I don’t think Sydney had many walks but we just were not making the plays in the field either.”
The Rockets did not let Cuyahoga Falls end the game early via the 10-run mercy rule and rallied to score three runs in the bottom half of the fifth inning.
Senior center fielder Samantha Gadus snapped the Rockets’ scoreless drought by hitting a two-out RBI-single to right-center field, trimming the deficit to 10-1. Gadus stole second base during sophomore shortstop T’Lanee Boyett’s at-bat and when Boyett drew ball four on a passed ball, Gadus advanced to third base.
After Boyett stole second base, junior first baseman Hailey Miller blooped a two-run single down the left field line but the Rockets’ rally also ended there when she was thrown out trying to stretch it into a double.
According to Moore, although his team surrendered six runs in the top half of the fifth inning, they also showed some fight, responding with three runs in the bottom of the inning to avoid the game ending because of the 10-run mercy rule. Responding whenever the opposition had a big inning has not been something the Rockets have previously been successful at but Moore said that he has tried to change that mindset.
“I think that shows their grit,” he said. “They don’t give up. In the past I think they may have done that but that is one of the parts of the culture that we are trying to turn around here is to not give up and still battle until that very last out so that was a very good part of the game.”
Except for the fifth inning, Streetsboro was overpowered by Philips, who tossed a complete game, surrendering three runs while walking six and striking out 13, including recording six strikeouts in the first three innings.
Moore acknowledged that the Rocket batters could not lay off of Phillips’ rising fastball.
“The thing was that we did not have to worry about any offs-speed,” he noted. “She just threw heat the whole time whether it was her fastball. She had a good curve and also the rise ball.”
The Black Tigers added two more runs in the final two frames to take back momentum and seal the victory. Although it was a lopsided defeat, Moore said there was still a lot of optimism.
After recording only three victories last season, Streetsboro is already one win away from matching that win total and Moore credits that as a testament to the quick turnaround the program is making.
With only five returnees from last year’s team, Streetsboro’s biggest challenge has been to deliver more consistent performance game in and game out. So far, the Rockets have yet to achieve that consistency, but Moore said it was something to be expected with a young squad.
“As you are trying to turn a culture around, I told them that we have to be ready from the start of the game,” he said. “Along those lines we just have to be ready from that pitch.”
Following a home games against Portage County rival Southeast on Thursday, Streetsboro will hit the road and face Canton Central Catholic in Perry Township in a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 11 a.m.
