Amherst softball ends losing skid at nine
by PATRICK J. NAGY Reporter

Amherst hadn't won a softball game since the North Tonawanda Varsity Softball Invitational on April 21 so you can imagine the jubilation the team felt when they defeated Hamburg, 3-2, on Friday, May 11.

The loss snapped a nine-game losing streak.

"We had some close calls in some games so it felt good to get the monkey off our back," said Amherst coach Mike Chatelle. "We needed a win to stay positive, not because we haven't been doing anything positive, but we haven't been able to put it all together."

Amherst took a 1-0 lead over Hamburg in the third inning when Jessica Banning reached on a single and Liz Reid drove her in with a single. Trailing 2-1 in the fifth, Eva Lankes scored on a throwing error to tie the game and Abby DeFrancis knocked in Reid with an RBI single for the game-winning run. DeFrancis and Reid each hit 2 for 3 with an RBI. Banning, Kelly Dixson, and Julie Halm each singled.

Banning threw a four-hitter, allowed one earned run and struck out six for the win.

Amherst lost its three other games played last week, falling to Tonawanda, 5-3, on Monday, May 7, Williamsville South, 1-0, on Tuesday, May 8 (see South softball story), and West Seneca East, 9-2, on Wednesday, May 9.

Dixson tripled to lead off the sixth against Tonawanda and scored on a Lankes' single. Dixson singled home Katie Bardak and Mollie Lang in the seventh. Lang, Reid and Bardak each hit. Banning tossed a four-hitter and struck out seven.

Tonawanda scored all five runs in the fifth. Amherst allowed two hits and the defense committed three errors.

Amherst led West Seneca East, 2-0 after a two-run single by De- Francis, but left 10 runners on base the rest of the game. DeFrancis and Lang hit 2 for 4. Lankes, Reid and Masters each hit.

Katy Tirella, DeFrancis and Banning pitched.

Amherst (5-11, 2-9) played Lake Shore on Tuesday, May 15 but the result was unavailable before The Bee went to press. They host Sacred Heart at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 16.