Softball: Back-to-Back home runs propel Coldwater to split with top ranked Northwest
COLDWATER — The Coldwater Lady Cardinals battled their way to a doubleheader split versus the top ranked team in Division Two in the Northwest Lady Mounties Tuesday night. Northwest shut out Coldwater in game one for the 4-0 win while the Cardinals used a late score to secure the win in game two by the score of 3-1.
Game one of the doubleheader saw the Northwest defense hold Coldwater to just a single hit as it was the Mounties taking the 4-0 win. Northwest scored one run in the first inning, one in the fifth inning and two in the seventh as they out hit Coldwater 11-1 overall.
Alexis Bills took the loss on the mound for Coldwater after throwing seven full innings, allowing 11 hits and four runs with four strikeouts.
The Coldwater offense faced off with one of the best pitchers in the state in Northwest’s Neveah Ingram who pitched all seven innings, allowing one hit with 14 strikeouts.
Coldwater’s lone hit came off the bat of Jayla Foster who recorded a single.
Northwest was led by Ava Golightly who was 4 for 4 with four singles and three runs scored.
Game two of the doubleheader saw Coldwater use a big sixth inning, which featured back-to-back home runs, to move into the lead and take the 3-1 victory.
Coldwater hit the scoreboard first as a Brooklyn Kerry RBI double in the bottom of the fourth inning allowed Mackenzie Scheid to score, giving the Cardinals the 1-0 lead.
Northwest came back in the top of the fifth to tie the game up at 1-1 after an error allowed C. Pilacynski to score for the Mounties.
Coldwater retook the lead in the bottom of the sixth inning and they used the long ball to do it. With two outs in the inning sophomore Mackenzie Scheid stepped to the dish and launched a solo home run over the wall in centerfield, giving the Cardinals a 2-1 lead. One pitch later Alexis Bills also found the sweet spot and sent a line drive home run over the fence in right field, pushing the Coldwater lead to 3-1.
Northwest went down in order in the seventh inning as the Cardinals took the hard fought win.
Mackenzie Scheid took the win on the mound for Coldwater after throwing seven innings in the start, allowing five hits and one unearned run with six strikeouts.
Scheid helped out her own cause at the plate as well, going 2 for 2 with a double and a home run, one walk, one RBI and two runs scored.
Alexis Bills also had solid game at the plate for Coldwater with a home run, one Rbi and a run scored. Also adding to the Cardinal effort was Jayla Foster with a single and Brooklyn Kerry with a double and an RBI.
Northwest was led by Neveah Ingram on the mound who threw six innings, allowing five hits and three runs with one walk and 12 strikeouts. Ingram also led the team offensively with two singles.
With the hard fought doubleheader split Coldwater’s record now stands at 15-8 overall on the season. The Cardinals will next see action Thursday when they travel to Hastings for Interstate 8 play.
This article originally appeared on The Daily Reporter: Softball: Back-to-Back home runs propel Coldwater to split with top ranked Northwest
