Commodores claim section crown
By JEREMY SELLEW
jsellew@yourmvi.com
Prior to the season, Frazier softball head coach Don Hartman knew his team was under a “cloud.”
The cloud of low expectations because of everyone lost on the Commodores’ roster. But that’s what makes this even sweeter.
The Commodores left no doubt who the top team in Section 3-2A was Tuesday, hammering three home runs and pounding out 14 hits against second-place Carmichaels to claim the 2021 section championship.
“I would definitely tell you how sweet this is for them,” Hartman said pointing to his team. “I wouldn’t even say how happy this makes me. It’s all about them. They all knew the cloud they were under. Who wasn’t here anymore, no one expected them to come out this season and win the section.
“We talked about that and I told them, ‘Go out there and have fun. It’s time to create your own identity.’”
The Commodores fell behind in the top of the first after a costly error and a bad bounce allowed the Mikes (10-6, 7-2) to score a pair of runs. From that point on, it was all Commodores (14-3, 11-0).
Abby Scott’s two-run single in the tied the game in the top of the second and gave Frazier the momentum, which it never let go of.
“Abby had the big hit of the game,” Hartman said. “It was a huge hit. It allowed us to tie the game. She’s a junior this year and she went through her struggles. But we preached focusing on the simple things, worked on her swing and she came through. She hit the ball hard today.”
The Commodores finished with four hits in the second inning and added three more in the third when they took the lead.
Madison Bednar and Tori Washinski led off the inning with back-to-back singles. Bednar went to third on Washinski’s hit and the wily shortstop made a veteran move to take second on the play to give her team two runners in scoring position.
Situational hitting has been a factor in the growth of senior captain Rylee Evans, and she followed with a simple sacrifice fly to center to score Bednar. Washinski moved to third and came in to score on an RBI single by Delaney Warnick.
The Commodores started piling on against Mikes’ starter Emma Holaren, adding another pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth.
Evans started it off with a towering solo shot to make it 5-2.
“It looked like a beach ball coming in,” Evans said. “I wasn’t going to miss that one.”
Holaren walked Warnick, who stole second and came in to score on Maria Felsher’s RBI single to make it 6-2.
“We’ve really preached about buying in and having a patient approach at the plate,” Hartman said. “The way we hit the ball today was all about the hard work the girls have put in. I’m not as upset about having the rain-soaked week last week, because these girls did a lot of good work in the cage. It showed today.”
The Commodores slammed the door shut in the next frame, playing five runs against Holaren.
Jensyn Hartman led off with a walk and went to third when Holaren threw a ball into right field on a sacrifice bunt attempt by Bednar. With runners on the corners, Evans roped an RBI single to left-center field to make it 7-2.
Warnick followed that up with a three-run bomb to center field in an eight-pitch at-bat. The line-drive homer easily cleared the fence behind the Mikes’ Sophia Zalar.
“The turning point for Delaney was that Charleroi game. She struck out three times, she was getting really frustrated,” Hartman said. “Sometimes you have to fail before you achieve. When they start to get frustrated, as a coach, that’s when you step in.
“With her, it was a matter of making an adjustment. We always teach a two-strike approach and look what she did. She was just trying to make contact on that ball. It shows how special of a player and hitter she is.”
Not to be outdone, Felsher completed the back-to-back jacks for the Commodores, hammering another homer to center for the game’s final runs.
“We know how good of a hitting team we can be,” Evans said. “We know we didn’t play our best game the last time we played them. We won, but we know we’re better than that. A lot of people said they were the team to beat in this section so I think we had something to prove today.”
Lost in Frazier’s offensive explosion was the pitching performance of freshman Nicole Palmer, who continues to dazzle in the circle.
Palmer scattered six hits, half of those coming in the first inning, struck out 11 and only walked one. Both runs allowed were unearned.
“She’s something else,” Hartman said. “She continues to get better as a pitcher with every game we play. No moment is too big for her. She was fantastic today.”
“I love playing behind Nicole,” Evans said. “I’m really excited when I get to go out there and watch her pitch. She’s been so good for us. She definitely reminds me of Logan (Hartman) with her demeanor and the way she pitches.”
Offensively, the Mikes were led by Kendall Ellsworth (double, single) and Hyatt, who had two hits each. Holaren took the loss, allowing 10 earned runs. She walked five and struck out two.
“We got down early and we were able to take the first step, tie the game, and then we added on,” Hartman said. “That’s what good teams do. They bounce back.”
After the game, Hartman put things in perspective for his team.
“You guys heard it all. The newspapers, the broadcasts, they said you couldn’t be here,” he said. “But that’s what tradition does. You’re forever section champions. You’re going to add another banner on that outfield wall and no one can take that away.”
