NTL SOFTBALL: BIG BATS, TIGHT DEFENSE HELPS CANTON PULL AWAY FROM CV (2021-05-25)

BY CHRIS MANNING
Northern Tier Sports Report
CANTON — Despite getting swept by Cowanesque Valley during the regular season, Canton coach Lyle Wesneski had a feeling his team was ready to bust out in their District IV, Class A quarterfinal home game Tuesday.

“When you’ve got to go in, and you’ve got to beat a team three times, that’s tough,” said Wesneski. “I’ve been preaching to the girls, both games we played were real close…so I said, ‘listen, you jump on them early, anything can happen.’”

What happened was Canton’s most complete win of the season, a 10-2 victory over the Indians to punch their ticket to the semifinals.

“We’ve seen their pitchers, we’ve played them twice, and we (didn’t) want to lose to them again,” said senior Jill Shay.

Jill Shay was the winning pitcher, as she scattered five hits, and only walked two, while her defense had just two errors. At the plate, Canton pounded out 11 hits, as their top three batters - Molly Ward, Emmi Ward, and Keri Wesneski - went 8-for-12.

“(We) just had to have the mindset that we know what we can do,” explained Keri Wesneski. “Knowing that we’re here to play as a team, and that we’re ready to get the win that we wanted against them for a while.”

Wesneski (3-for-4) led the way, with a 3-run home run, two runs scored, and 5-RBI in total. Molly Ward (3-for-4) had a double, three runs scored, and an RBI, with Emmi Ward (2-for-4) scoring twice.

Allyson Butcher (1-for-3) had a 2-RBI hit, while Katie Shay (1-for-2), and Mae Kinner (1-for-3) both scored runs. Rylin Graham also crossed home.

Jill Shay struck out three in the win, with just one earned run.

“Jill pitched a great game,” said Wesneski. “She’s been throwing well the last month of the season, moving it around, changing speeds…not overpowering, but lets her defense play, doesn’t walk batters.”

On a team that’s as young as Canton - most of their starters are underclassmen - Shay’s experience is vital to their success.

“The big things with Jill is her composure,” explained coach Wesneski. “She was here when we were 1-19. She knows, when things fall part, you’ve got to keep your composure, you’ve got to keep throwing strikes. And now, she’s got a defense behind her that can make plays.”

Canton came out swinging, scoring four runs in the first to take a big 4-0 lead.

“We get in here, we get the bats going, we put four up, and it helped take the edge off a little bit,” said coach Wesneski. “(It) helped them relax. They started making plays.”

Except for a couple small third-to-first errors in the fourth Canton’s defense was airtight - as centerfielder Sara Saar put the exclamation point on it with a running catch in the seventh inning.

“We take pride in defense,” said coach Wesneski. “We knew we just don’t have those power pitchers that are going to go out, and strike out 17. We’ve got to go out, and play fundamentally sound defense, make the plays, don’t boot the ball around. Don’t give them 4-and-5 outs every inning; and, the way we swing the bats, we’re going to be in all the ball games.”

It certainly helped Jill Shay settle in to see her team backing her up.

“It’s pretty good when you have a good defense,” she remarked.

The defense was on display early as there were two ground outs in a top of a first that saw CV go down 1-2-3.

In the bottom of the first Molly Ward, and Emmi Ward had back to back singles, which set up a Keri Wesneski RBI hit to left field, scoring Molly Ward.

Emmi Ward then scored on an error by the catcher to make it 2-0.

After an out Allyson Butcher hit a 2-run single, scoring Katie Shay, and Graham, who was running for Jillian Shay, for the 4-0 lead.

In the second it was 3-up, 3-down for both teams.

Then in the third CV had their best scoring opportunity yet, as Makenzie Surine led off with a double, followed by a Ruby Sherman single to put runners on first, and third. Jillian Shay, though, got a strikeout, then the Warriors got a double play as Katie Adams grounded out to Jillian Shay.

Surine tried to take home on the throw to first, but she was thrown out at home to end the threat. However, the Warriors went down in order in the bottom half of the inning.

In the top of the fourth CV was able to get a run across, as Madison Hoopes reached on an error. After a sacrifice bunt, and a ground out, Hoopes would score on an error off the bat of Keyana Thomas, cutting it to 4-1.

In the bottom of the fourth Hyde continued to roll in the circle, getting three more Canton outs to retire nine straight at that point.

Then, in the fifth, Surine led off with a double again, to put the Indians in business. After a fly out, Autumn Outman walked to put two runners on with one out.

Canton, though, responded, as the Warriors got a force out at third, then Jillian Shay induced a pop-out to end the threat.

In the bottom half of the inning Canton was able to push a couple more runs across. Molly Ward opened things up with a double, then scored two batters later on a Keri Wesneski single. 

Keri Wesneski then scored on a Katie Shay single for the 6-1 lead.

CV would get one of those runs back in the top of the sixth, as Vargeson hit a 1-out single. Two batters later Hyde singled Vargeson in to cut it to 6-2.

After a walk put two batters one Jillian Shay got the final out with a short pop up to her.

While the Indians were able to score two runs over the past four innings, coach Wesneski knew it could have been worse.

“I’m proud of (Jillian Shay) for working her way through a couple tough jams,” he said. “We had a couple jams where they get a hit there, that’s a tight ball game.”

Canton made sure to tack on some insurance runs in the bottom half of the sixth.

Kinner led off with a single, but after a sacrifice bunt, and a strikeout, it looked like CV would escape unscathed.

That’s when Molly Ward singled in Kinner to push the lead to 7-2.

Emmi Ward then singled, setting up Wesneski’s 3-run home run, on a 3-1 count.

“I could just see it coming right down the middle,” said Keri Wesneski. “And I knew if I got around on it on time, it was going to be right there on the bat.”

Her coach, and father, was trying to squeeze in another run just before his daughter effectively ended the game.

“They always make fun of of me, when we get 3-1 you box it up,” explained coach Wesneski. “You look for one pitch, one spot, and if it’s there, that’s what you do with it…She hears it a lot from me because she lives in my house.”

Apparently it got through as her blast to left field made it 10-2 Canton lead.

Jillian Shay retired the Indians in order in the bottom half of the inning, and the Warriors were on to Elm Park.

When, though, remains to be seen. The game with top seed, undefeated Northeast Bradford is slated to be Friday, at 5 p.m., but the heavy rain forecasted makes that unlikely. If the game is postponed, it will be played on Monday - Memorial Day - either at noon or 2 p.m. down at Williamsport.

As with CV, Canton is looking to get some revenge against NEB, who also swept them during the regular season.

“Hopefully, the same way with CV, just come back, and give it our all,” said Jillian Shay. “Hope for the best.”

Slugger Keri Wesneski knows what she’s going to work on the next couple of days.

“Turn up the pitching machine, work on the same areas of the box, and focus on just getting the bat on the ball,” she said about their preparation. 

Both games were battles - in the second one Canton even led 2-1 on the road until the fifth - but NEB’s escape artist-like ability to get big innings when they need them most saw them through to victory.

“We’ve had two tight games with them, right up to the fifth inning,” said coach Wesneski. “So we’re not going to be down there lacking any confidence. We’ll go down there, and get after it, and see what happens.”

CUTLINE: Canton’s Emmi Ward congratulates teammate Keri Wesneski on her home run after they both score against CV Tuesday…PHOTOS BY CHRIS MANNING.