By By TOM NYHUIS / Niles Daily Star
MISHAWAKA, Ind. – Buchanan's varsity softball team traveled south of the boarder Thursday to play in the first two games of the Mishawaka Cavemen Classic played at Twin Branch Park.
The Lady Bucks struggled in both games to get the ball past the oppositions defense, collecting just two hits in the opening game against the Mishawaka Caveman's junior varsity team in a 3-2 decision going to Mishawaka.
The junior Cavemen scored all three of their runs in the bottom of the seventh to take the opening game win off losing pitcher Alexis Lenox.
Buchanan scored a run in the fourth on two errors and a passed ball. The Lady Bucks' first hit of the game came in the sixth on an inside the park home run by Ashley Pointer. Pointer's sharply hit line drive landed just inside the third base foul line and rolled to fence. Pointer scampered around the bags with the throw to the plate coming in late and Buchanan hanging onto a 2-0 lead.
Through the first six innings, Lenox (3-2), held the Cavemen to just one hit and had struck out eight, alllowing no walks. In the seventh inning, a lead-off single by Amanda Troyer followed by a triple by Megan Yost and an error on the throw to third allowed Mishawaka to tie the game at two. Lenox picked up her ninth strike out of the game for the first out of the inning. The Cavemen picked up another single by Lauren Johnson followed by a pop out to shortstop Jayme O'Bryant for the second out of the inning.
Winning pitcher, Kacey Bonney, came to the plate and singled to move Johnson to third. Shelby DelRegno, who had struck out in her two previous at bats, singled and the winning run crossed the plate for the Cavemen. Lenox finished the game giving up six hits while Bonney struck out three in the win.
In the second game of the day, it was the Mishawaka Cavemen varsity team coming in with a 14-0 record handing the Lady Bucks a 7-0 loss.
Pointer (7-7), put the toe to the rubber in game two and was tagged with the loss, giving up three walks, hitting three batters and striking out four, while giving up seven hits.
Buchanan was limited to just two hits in the game by winning pitcher Sarah Scanlon (4-0). Sarah Oppelt led the Cavemen with two triples and a double collecting three RBIs. Buchanan tried to get a two out rally going in the seventh after Lenox was hit by a pitch and a Courtney Miller double but the Lady Bucks attempt ended there.
Buchanan will travel back to Mishawaka on Saturday where they will face Niles at 10 a.m.
Niles will play both Mishawaka teams tonight at Twin Branch Park.