Hamburg softball needs extra innings to beat Amherst
by PATRICK J. NAGY Reporter

Amherst lost to Hamburg, 12-11, in eight innings on Tuesday, April 24 but it wasn't for a lack of effort.

The Lady Tigers trailed 4-0 and 7-6 but scored five runs in the fourth to go up 5-4 and another four runs in the sixth inning to go ahead 10-7. Hamburg scored three times in the bottom of the seventh, including a solo home run by Alyssa Zemyla to tie the game at 10-10. She wound up scoring the winning run in the bottom of the eighth. Zemyla finished 4 for 5 with five RBIs.

Amherst's runs in the fourth came from Katie Bardak on a passed ball, Kelly Dixson and Liz Reid, who each scored on an error, Jessica Banning on a fielder's choice, and Alana Madrid, who scored on an error.

Mollie Lang scored on a Reid single to right field in the fifth.

Amherst's four runs in the sixth came from singles by Eva Lankes, which scored Lang; Bardak, who drove in Lankes; Dixson, who brought home Lang and Reid, who drove in Bardak and Dixson.

The Lady Tigers added one run in the top of the eighth. With one out, Lang reached third base on an error and Reid knocked her in with a single.

Amherst had 10 hits. Reid had three hits and three RBIs. Dixson recorded two hits and two RBIs. Lankes picked up two hits and stole a base. Bardak had a hit and RBI. Lang and Masters also singled. Banning struck out three batters.

"I thought we played better than we did against West Seneca East (lost 4-0 on Monday, April 23)," said Amherst coach Mike Chatelle. "We kept fighting which was good to see."

Amherst left nine runners on base versus the Lady Trojans, including runners on first and second in the second, second and third in the fourth and the bases loaded in the fifth.

Amherst only had four hits coming from Lang, Dixson, Reid and Masters. Katy Tirella threw a six-hitter and struck out six for Amherst. West Seneca East's Michelle Lettner stuck out nine over six innings.

Amherst (4-4, 1-3) played Williamsville South on Tuesday, May 1 but results were unavailable before The Bee went to press. The Lady Tigers host Williamsville East in a double header starting at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, May 3 and Iroquois at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, May 5.

e-mail: pnagy@beenews.com