By By TOM NYHUIS / Niles Daily Star
BUCHANAN – Heading into action Friday evening, Buchanan varsity softball coach Mike Welsh knew his team would have their hands full with non-league rival Watervliet.
The Panthers were coming into Friday's game with a 5-1 record and Buchanan has been struggling to get the bat on the ball.
At day's end though, the Lady Bucks swept the Panthers, taking game one in a thrilling come-from-behind victory, 4-3. That win propelled the Lady Bucks to a 10-0 five inning win in the nightcap behind freshman pitcher Alexis Lenox taking the circle for her first high school career start.
Ashley Pointer recorded the win in the opener.
Watervliet's Rachel Sheffer was cutting down the Lady Bucks at the plate in game one, tossing a no-hit shut out with 11 strikeouts notched in the book as she took the mound heading into bottom half of the sixth with a 2-0 lead.
In the sixth, Emily Ross took a Sheffer pitch to the right field fence on one bounce for a triple, breaking up Sheffer's no-hitter. At the end of the sixth, Ross was left standing on third as the rest of the Lady Bucks continued to struggle at the plate. Watervliet tacked on one insurance run in the top of the seventh to take what looked to be a comfortable three-run lead.
Jayme O'Bryant opened the seventh with a double to get the Lady Bucks' rally rolling. A wild pitch allowed O'Bryant to head to third and Lenox at the dish. Lenox worked a base on balls from Sheffer and quickly stole second with Pointer at the plate. Pointer went down on a strikeout for the first out of the inning. Destyni Dolan picked up her senior teammate with a double, scoring O'Bryant and Lenox. Courtney Miller continued the comeback with a single to advance Dolan to third. Kayla Nelson was caught looking at strike three for the Lady Bucks' second out of the inning. Miller advanced, stealing second base during Nelsons at bat. With two outs and the winning run at second, Ross was at the plate.
"I was looking to the bench as to who I was going to pinch hit for Taylor (Krumrie), thinking they were going to intentionally walk Ross," Welsh said. "I couldn't believe they were pitching to her."
Sheffer worked the count to 3-2, with Ross fighting off the next two pitches fouling them off. Ross sent the next pitch to right field for a single and with the runners off and running, Miller scored easily with the winning run.
"The way we've been hitting the ball lately, it looked kind of bleak. The kids found a way to win and we hit some rockets in that seventh inning. That took a lot of pressure off us. We were feeling a lot of pressure. We haven't handled what has been expected of us very well. I think that freed us up now and we played like I thought we could play in that second game," Welsh continued. "We just started hitting the ball like I knew we could, I knew these kids could hit."
Pointer struck out 11 Lady Panthers and walked three giving up seven hit for the win. Sheffer was tagged with the loss going 6 2/3 innings allowing five hits walking two and striking out 12.
In the nightcap, Lenox took her first trip to the mound and picked up the win as the Lady Bucks scored nine runs in the third and one in the fifth for the 10-0 five-inning game.
Leading Buchanan at the plate was Miller picking up a triple and a single. Hillary Falkner came away with two singles and Ross and Lenox each doubled in the nightcap win.
"I was really happy with the way Lenox threw the ball in the second game and Ashley pitched a great game in the first game, we were just not hitting the ball. She (Pointer) is averaging 10 strikeouts a game, and she really is not a strikeout pitcher, but she has been throwing really well. She knows this is her last shot (as a senior)."
On Saturday, the road at the Otsego Invitational didn't look to get any easier as the Lady Bucks would be facing three Class B teams.
After a day of softball, Buchanan brought home a pair of wins and a loss.
The Lady Bucks' lone loss came in their first game of the day as they dropped a 1-0 decision to St. Joe. The Bears scored the games only run in their half of the third inning and held Buchanan to just two hits in the game.
Pointer was tagged with the loss giving up five hits. Once again Pointer struck out 10 batters in the game while walking just one in seven innings of work.
In game two, it was Buchanan all over South Haven in a 12-2 five inning win and Lenox earning her second straight win, striking out six and walking two, giving up two runs on three hits.
Buchanan scored two runs in the first and one in the second and put the game away with four runs in the fourth and five in the fifth. With the Buchanan bats heating up, six Lady Buck batters had multi-hits in the game. Ross with a single and triple, O'Bryant a single and double, Holly Lucas a pair of doubles, Falkner two singles, Lenox picked up three singles and Krumrie also had two singles.
The Lady Bucks finished off the day with a 6-0 win over Sturgis with Pointer grabbing the win from the rubber striking out nine and giving up three hits. Buchanan dished out 11 hits in the game led by O'Bryant. Falkner and Krumrie each picking up a pair of singles. Ross collected a triple and Miller added a double.
Buchanan will take a 5-4, 1-3 LAC record into a rematch with South Haven today on the Lady Bucks home field in a non-league contest.