The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Geneva impressive behind Alvarez
It would be difficult to find a team in The NewsHerald area that’s younger and less experienced than Geneva.
Four freshmen and two sophomores — who are pretty much freshmen since there was no season a year ago because of the coronavirus pandemic — are in the Eagles’ starting lineup.
While there isn’t much experience, there is Daliz Alvarez.
She makes up for a lot. A junior and first-year pitcher, Alvarez threw a four-hitter, striking out a career-high 13 batters, and she also went 3-for-3 with a home run and two RBI to lead Geneva to a 10-0 win
GENEVA 10, HARVEY 0
over host Harvey on April 9.
“She’s a great leader,” said Geneva freshman Jordyn Alderman of Alvarez. “She brings people up and helps us.”
That’s just in the dugout. On the field, Alvarez is a handful.
She homered to right in her first at-bat, doubled deep to left in her second atbat, singled to right in her third at-bat and then circled the bases when the ball was misplayed.
She was hit by a pitch and eventually stole home in the seventh to complete to monstrous offensive game.
“Every time a strike comes, I just swing at it,” the soft-spoken junior leader said.
She was almost equally as dominating on the bump. Two of the four hits she gave up were bunt singles. She only walked one and whiffed 13.
“Daliz was fantastic today,” said Geneva coach Eleshia Pitcher.
Harvey (5-2) came into the game with a better record than Geneva (4-4), but the Eagles dominated thanks to its offense.
After Alvarez’ round-tripper made it 1-0, Gianna Logan’s single plated Abby Stash in the third inning for a 2-0 lead.
The flood gates opened in the third thanks to Alderman’s RBI single and Alvarez’ RBI hit, with two others coming across the plate on an error for the 6-0 lead.
“They did hit the ball,” said Harvey coach Betsy Hada.
“I’ve got three solid pitchers. They have a couple really good hitters, but I’m proud of my staff.”
It was a 6-0 game before Harvey got its first hit. But Alvarez enticed a doubleplay to get out of the inning.
Harvey went to a smallball approach in the later half of the game, which resulted in runners in scoring position in the final two innings. Both times, Alvarez pitched out of the jam.
Rachel Boykin reached twice for Harvey, including her team’s first hit, as well as a late-game walk.
“We are learning and we make practice worth the time,” said Hada, whose team plays Hawken on April 12. “We fight for every inch.”
Aside from Alvarez’ big day, Geneva (12 hits) got two hits, a home run and three RBI from Alderman and two hits from Stash. Jailyn Alderman had an RBI triple and scored on her sister Jordyn’s homer in the sixth.
The Eagles play Riverside on April 10.
“This was huge,” Pitcher said of the victory.