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Squeaker
Stevenson hurler Hamel handcuffs Churchill batters
Jenny Hamel is becoming more of an X-factor this season for the Livonia Stevenson girls softball team.
The senior right-hander was oozing with confidence Monday as she threw a crafty four-hitter as the Spartans edged Churchill, 1-0, in the Western Division opener for both teams in the Western Lakes Activities Association.
Hamel was not overpowering, but effective, strijking out three and not allowing a walk in seven innings.
Her counterpart on the mound, Churchill's Bridget Long, also tossed a four-hitter and struck out six while not walking anybody in going all seven.
But an effective changeup by Hamel kept the Chargers guessing at the plate as she raised her season record to 4-1.
"I just started getting the hang of it over the summer and fall," Hamel said of her off-speed pitch. "It took a lot of time for it (the pitch) to come along, about one and a half years. But it was a couple of months ago that I got the hang of it."
The game ended on a play at the plate as Stevenson catcher Roya St. Clair tagged out pinch runner Chelsea Wydick on a throw from first baseman Daniel Wozniak.
Churchill's last-ditch rally started when Amber Holod lef off the sixth with a single and took second on a fielder's choice. With two outs, Churchill's Brynn Kerr grounded the ball to shortstop Amanda Alpert, whose throw to first low landed on one hop into dirt and was bobbled by Wozniak.
Wydick kept going around third in an attempt to score the tying run, but was cut down at home.
"When they got the leadoff hitter on, I got nervous because they had been advancing runners all day and we were getting to the breaking point," Stevenson coach Rob Witherspoon said.
Hamel, meanwhile, was not surprised by the final game-clinching play by her infield teammates.
"They knew what they had to do in that case," she said. "They've worked hard as anybody else...worked even more."
The game-winning run came in the top of the second inning when second baseman Jessica Pepp, who had two hits on the day along with St. Clair, singled. She eventually moved up to third and scored on a dropped third strike following a throw to first.
Churchill, which slipped to 3-3 overall, left eight runners stranded.
"We've been hitting decently this year, but not at the key times," Churchill coach Carrie Korican said. "It's the best hitting team I've had in my three years, but we're not manufacturing them when we need them."
Korican, however, came away impressed with Hamel's performance.
"This year she seems more confident and mentally she's tougher," Korican said. "She's seemed to have a well-defined game plan. She has a better change-up. She got confident at the end of the game and was not afraid to use it, and we got caught sleeping on it."
Stevenson, 4-1 on the year, overcame another solid pitching performance by Long, who also collected two of Churchill's four hits.
"So far we're taking advantage of other teams' mistakes," the third year coach said.
"Bridget Long is good. I talked to the girls, and all you can do against her is make something happen on the bases."
Witherspoon knows that improved pitching means more victories.
"She (Hamel) has worked on the changeup over the winter and she's extremely more confident," he said. "She's gotten a couple of wins early and we're seeing her hard work pay off."
:D!!!!!!
-------
Squeaker
Stevenson hurler Hamel handcuffs Churchill batters
Jenny Hamel is becoming more of an X-factor this season for the Livonia Stevenson girls softball team.
The senior right-hander was oozing with confidence Monday as she threw a crafty four-hitter as the Spartans edged Churchill, 1-0, in the Western Division opener for both teams in the Western Lakes Activities Association.
Hamel was not overpowering, but effective, strijking out three and not allowing a walk in seven innings.
Her counterpart on the mound, Churchill's Bridget Long, also tossed a four-hitter and struck out six while not walking anybody in going all seven.
But an effective changeup by Hamel kept the Chargers guessing at the plate as she raised her season record to 4-1.
"I just started getting the hang of it over the summer and fall," Hamel said of her off-speed pitch. "It took a lot of time for it (the pitch) to come along, about one and a half years. But it was a couple of months ago that I got the hang of it."
The game ended on a play at the plate as Stevenson catcher Roya St. Clair tagged out pinch runner Chelsea Wydick on a throw from first baseman Daniel Wozniak.
Churchill's last-ditch rally started when Amber Holod lef off the sixth with a single and took second on a fielder's choice. With two outs, Churchill's Brynn Kerr grounded the ball to shortstop Amanda Alpert, whose throw to first low landed on one hop into dirt and was bobbled by Wozniak.
Wydick kept going around third in an attempt to score the tying run, but was cut down at home.
"When they got the leadoff hitter on, I got nervous because they had been advancing runners all day and we were getting to the breaking point," Stevenson coach Rob Witherspoon said.
Hamel, meanwhile, was not surprised by the final game-clinching play by her infield teammates.
"They knew what they had to do in that case," she said. "They've worked hard as anybody else...worked even more."
The game-winning run came in the top of the second inning when second baseman Jessica Pepp, who had two hits on the day along with St. Clair, singled. She eventually moved up to third and scored on a dropped third strike following a throw to first.
Churchill, which slipped to 3-3 overall, left eight runners stranded.
"We've been hitting decently this year, but not at the key times," Churchill coach Carrie Korican said. "It's the best hitting team I've had in my three years, but we're not manufacturing them when we need them."
Korican, however, came away impressed with Hamel's performance.
"This year she seems more confident and mentally she's tougher," Korican said. "She's seemed to have a well-defined game plan. She has a better change-up. She got confident at the end of the game and was not afraid to use it, and we got caught sleeping on it."
Stevenson, 4-1 on the year, overcame another solid pitching performance by Long, who also collected two of Churchill's four hits.
"So far we're taking advantage of other teams' mistakes," the third year coach said.
"Bridget Long is good. I talked to the girls, and all you can do against her is make something happen on the bases."
Witherspoon knows that improved pitching means more victories.
"She (Hamel) has worked on the changeup over the winter and she's extremely more confident," he said. "She's gotten a couple of wins early and we're seeing her hard work pay off."