Despite rain, Amherst stays focused

Someone needs to remind Amherst that the doldrums of early spring softball are supposed to slow a team down.

In another season that has seen more than its fair share of washed-out days, the Comets have maintained the momentum of a state semifinal appearance to start the season 4-0 both overall and in the Southwestern Conference.

It is not so much the wins that are impressive, but how big the wins are.

The closest game for the Comets thus far has been a 10-4 win over Olmsted Falls on April 5.

In all, Amherst is outscoring its competition, 506, through four games.

“We just do our best to keep it serious at all times,” Amherst coach Lacey Reichert said. “Nobody wants rainouts.

“That’s obvious. But coming off a hot season like we had last year where there was so much anticipation heading into this year, it’s been a bit harder to have game after game called. But that’swhywe’re trying to keep the intensity up in practices at all time. We want to keep everyone at the top of their game.”

Reichert added it was a blessing that the weather in February and early March was as nice as it was.

“Sometimes, the first game of the season is the first time the team has been on dirt,” Reichert said. “That wasn’t the case for us against North Ridgeville. We had two scrimmages against Elyria Catholic and Holy Name outside and even a few practices at the end of February.”

Reichert said the biggest issue with rainouts comes when the schedule gets so backlogged that team sometimes play six days a week.

“As a player, you love it,” Reichert said. “That’s what you live for. You live for playing in the games. As a coach, it can be tough. Without practices to work on things, we just have to trust that the kids remember what they’ve learned and make the adjustments on the fly.”

Forecast says...

The start of the spring sports season is always fraught with postponements and cancellations — and yes, there is a difference between the two, but that is an issue for another time.

This year, though, the daily slate of games being wiped out is alarmingly large.

Through April 6, 56.7 percent of games scheduled — which includes rescheduled games of previously postponed games — had been canceled or postponed across The Morning Journal area.

While most teams have gotten three or more games in during the 13 days that the season has been active, there are still six of the 24 area teams that have yet to play their third game.

Winner, winner

With six area coaches new to their respective team’s benches, four have already picked up their first victory:

BROOKSIDE >> Coach Ken Collins picked up his first win via a 15-4 victory against Clearview on April 5.

CLEARVIEW >> Coach Amanda Arendt secured her first victory in a 22-0 game against Brooklyn.

OLMSTED FALLS >> Bulldogs coach Katrina Muzingo got her first taste of victory on March 29 in a 3-1 win over Westlake. VERMILION >> The Sailors’ Bill Matthews needed only one game to get his first win, a 5-1 decision over Tiffin Columbian. ELYRIA CATHOLIC AND LUTHERAN WEST >> The Panthers’ Megan Bashak and the Longhorns’ Dennis Matson are searching for their first win.