The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Riverside rides current past Lake to coast
Beavers put brawn, balance on display in thorough win to remain unbeaten
As his team threw warmup tosses prior to a game against visiting Lake Catholic on April 6, Riverside coach Bill Ross nodded his head and adjusted his mirrored sunglasses.
“This team,” he said. “They just don’t love playing softball. They just love being around each other.”
It doesn’t hurt the Beavers have experience, pitching depth and a batting order than can slaughter the ball from the 1-through-9 positions.
Riverside parlayed that love of the game — and for each other — with its skill set to blast the Cougars, 9-1, in nonconference action.
The win improves the Beavers’ record to a spotless 5-0.
“Our goal is to go as deep as we can,” senior Emily Lamos said of a tournament run at season’s end. “We just love being out here with each other. Obviously we want to win the conference, but we just love playing softball.”
That’s evident.
The Beavers hit three doubles, two triples and a home run off Lake Catholic pitching.
Grace Fisher, one-half of the Beavers’ vaunted 1-2 pitching tandem that also includes Lamos, pitched a three-hitter and struck out nine.
Lake (5-2) came in riding the crest of a big win over Madison on April 5, but the Beavers left Cougars coach Jim Galloway shrugging his shoulders.
“Little bit of a buzzsaw today, yeah,” he said. “They’re good 1-through-9. They don’t have any holes in there. You can’t take any play off. You can’t take any pitch off.”
Riverside wasted no time in establishing its dominance, with Amanda Kolar ripping a two-out double in the first and then coming home on a mammoth tworun home run by Lamos.
Lamos had a huge day, with a home run, triple, double and four RBI.
“Yeah, it felt pretty nice,” she said of her home run, the first of the year for her. “I just love hitting those balls for my team and helping out any way I can.”
Four more runs came across in the second, with Sarah Kovalchuk ripping a two-run double, followed by an RBI single from Kolar.
An inning later, Katie Ross made it seven runs with a grounder to plate Mara Kelly, who had tripled.
The run support was more than welcome for
Fisher. While Fisher gave up a run in the third on a Gia Mazzolini single, she settled down and retired the final 13 batters she faced.
Mazzolini’s two-out single in the third was the last baserunner Fisher allowed. However, Massolini injured her ankle sliding into third and did not return.
“It’s so exciting that they have my back scoring runs,” she said.
Fisher shrugged off her late dominance in which she set down the Cougars in order in the final four innings.
“You’ve got to push through and get stronger,” she said. “You’re going to get tired. You’ve just got to push through it.”
Lamos’ RBI triple in the fourth and her RBI double in the sixth wrapped up the scoring for the Beavers, who play Brush on April 7 and Mentor on April 8.
“One game at a time,” Ross said. “Our expectations are to go out and compete every game. We tell the girls (to) play great and the conference will take care of itself.”
Galloway said while the win over Madison the previous day was “one of the biggest wins these girls have ever had,” it’s time to focus on the next step in a nonconference game later this week against visiting Edgewood.
“We’ve got to forget about this one,” he said.