North rides another roller coaster week

The Williamsville North varsity softball team had another up and down week as the 2007 season winds down. The Lady Spartans defeated Sweet Home and Orchard Park but lost a heartbreaking game to Lancaster.

The Lady Spartans started the week on a high note as they defeated Sweet Home, 7-1, at home on Monday, May 7. Three Lady Spartans had three hits each as the team totaled 15 hits. Kaitlyn McNally, Lauren O'Brien and Amanda Maraschiello combined for nine hits, four runs scored and four RBIs. Krissy Flierl had two hits and Liz Dutweiler and Morgan McDowell each had one hit and one RBI.

Sweet Home's Amanda Cannizzo again proved why she has been all-league for three years as she hit a home run in the fourth inning and a triple in the sixth.

Tricia Kennery was excellent on the mound as she limited Sweet Home to Cannizzo's two hits. She struck out 12 and allowed no walks.

North traveled to Orchard Park on Wednesday, May 9 and returned victorious, 10-1.

The Lady Spartans continued their torrid hitting as they lashed out 15 hits again. McNally and O'Brien both had three hits. Mc- Nally had a single, double, and triple, scored twice and drove in three more. O'Brien had two singles and a double, scored twice and also had two RBIs. Kennery supported her pitching with a triple of her own. The hitting parade continued as Erica Stricko and Flierl both had two hits apiece.

Kennery continued her outstanding pitching as she held Orchard Park to just four hits while striking out nine.

The Lady Spartans traveled to Lancaster on Friday, May 11 for a rematch with the Lady Redskins and first place on the line.

Lancaster opened up their half of the first inning by pushing across a run. North responded back with two runs of their own in the third. Flierl led off with a slap hit in the hole at short and Kelly Jones was unable to make the play. O'Brien followed with a single up the middle. Stricko followed with a sacrifice bunt that was misplayed allowing Flierl to score and move O'Brien to third and Stricko to second. Kennery launched a fly ball to the warning track in straight away center field allowing O'Brien to score on a sacrifice fly putting North up 2-1.

Lancaster answered back with two runs to move up 3-2 after four innings. North tied the score in the bottom of the fifth, setting the stage for a dramatic seventh inning. Brittany Lis opened with a single to left to start the inning. Lis advanced to second on a passed ball. Kennery then struck out Ashley Snider. Sarah Anthon hit a laser ground ball that was snared by Kristen Weber keeping Lis at second base. With two outs, Samantha Bundy hit a ground ball in the hole between third and short and Lis beat the throw home to allow Lancaster to escape with a 4-3 win.

Coach Bubar is encouraged by the effort the Lady Spartans are continuing to produce and how the hitting is coming around. Bubar also received some uplifting news regarding all star first baseman, Kerry Ulmer. Ulmer has missed the last 12 games with mononucleosis but has been cleared to return the week of May 21. That will coincide just as the playoffs are about to start. When Ulmer went out of the lineup, she was hitting .435 with a slugging percentage of .565.

North, 11-9 overall and 8-5 in ECIC Division I, finished league play against Jamestown on Tuesday, May 15 but results were unavailable before The Bee went to press.

The Lady Spartans will travel to ECIC III leader Depew for a non-league game against the Lady Wildcats at 4:45 p.m. on Thursday, May 17.