East sweeps doubleheader with Lake Shore, finishes second in ECIC II

Williamsville East softball (11-5, 8-4) swept a doubleheader with Lake Shore, 17-4 (five innings) and 14-1, on Thursday, May 17 to finish second in ECIC Division II.

In Game One, Lake Shore jumped out to an early lead with four runs on one hit in the first inning thanks to a couple of errors, mental mistakes, and three consecutive walks.

East answered with five runs in the bottom of the first. Bridget Steele walked but was forced out on a fielder's choice on a ball hit by Courtney Rung. Jessica Windnagle walked and Taylor Klun hit a long ball that deflected off a fielder's choice to score two. Ally Kotz singled to score Klun. East pitcher Kelly Rusin tripled to deep left center field to score Kotz and scored on a passed ball.

The bottom of the second was more successful for the Lady Flames, plating nine runs. Steele singled, stole second, Rung singled and Windnagle singled to score Steele. Klun walked and Kotz singled home Rung. Rachelle Arenos followed with a single to bring home Windnagle. Rusin was safe on a fielding error, driving in Klun. Anna Stolzenburg singled home Kotz and Arenos.

Kristen Gaglione walked and Steele appeared again in the inning and drove in Rusin and reached first on an error. Rung singled again to score Stolzenburg. Windnagle was safe on a fielding error but drove in Gaglione. Kotz was safe on a fielder's choice but scored Rung.

To demonstrate good sportsmanship, East held runners to single base hits, no stolen bases, and no runner advancing on passed balls. East only scored two more runs on four singles by Stolzenburg, Gaglione, Steele, and Windnagle in the third. Rung and Klun reached base safely on errors.

Rusin picked up the win on the mound.

In Game Two, East took a two-run lead in the top of the first. Steele singled, stole second, and scored on Klun's triple. Klun scored on a passed ball.

Lake Shore came back with one run. With two outs, freshman Paige Anderson singled, stole second and scored on a single by Katie Caboot. That was the last run East pitcher Megan Allers would allow.

The Lady Flames scored two more times in the second. Kotz walked, Arenos singled and Karen Kingsley doubled home both runners.

In the third, Windnagle walked, Klun was safe on an error and Chelsea Horne hit a triple to score both. Horne scored on a Kotz sacrifice. Arenos singled, stole second, and scored on a Kingsley single.

Four East runs were plated in the fourth thanks to a Horne grand slam, her third home run of the season. Rung and Windnagle, who singled, and Klun, who walked, scored.

In the fifth, Rung was safe on a fielding error and scored on a Windnagle triple. Horne ground out but scored Windnagle from third.

Allers pitched a two-hitter (both hits coming in first inning) and struck out seven over five innings.

The Lady Flames opened the week with a 12-9 win over Iroquois on Wednesday, May 16.

East jumped on Iroquois in the first for seven runs. Leadoff batter Steele was hit by a pitch. Rung singled, Windnagle was safe on an error and Klun was hit by a pitch to score a run. Kotz doubled to score two. Arenos singled to score another. Horne hit a bases loaded triple to score three runs. Steele, batting again in the first, singled to score Horne.

Iroquois rallied for four runs with two singles and two back-to-back home runs in the top of the second.

East got three of the runs back. In the bottom of the second, Klun singled, Kotz moved her over to second on a sacrifice and Arenos singled home. Horne hit a home run for two more RBIs.

Iroquois scored two runs in the third on four singles off Kingsley. Iroquois made a pitching change and East has difficulty hitting her until the sixth.

East made a pitching change in the top of the fourth, putting in Allers. With two outs, Ashley Platek hit a long ball in the gap at right center for Iroquois' third home run of the game. That put three runs behind East.

Again, Iroquois scored two runs to come within a run of tying the game. The first two batters are safe on errors. Two runs score on a fielder's choice and a single. East plated two runs in the bottom of the sixth. Kotz and Horne singled, Rusin singled home Kotz and Steele singled in another.