Amherst softball wins sloppy opener
by PATRICK J. NAGY Reporter

It wasn't a masterpiece, but the Amherst Central softball team won its first game of the season.

The Lady Tigers only mustered two hits and scored three unearned runs to beat Tonawanda, 3-1, on April 7 at Tonawanda.

Trailing 1-0 in the top of the third inning, Amherst took the lead because of a number of Tonawanda miscues.

Junior shortstop Eva Lankes reached on a fielder's choice and stole second base. Freshman Jessica Banning struck out, but the Tonawanda catcher dropped the third strike. Banning took off to first base, the catcher threw to first base and the Tonawanda first baseman dropped the ball. This allowed Lankes, who was headed to third anyway, to beat the throw home and Banning to make it to second. Banning would score on the play after the Tonawanda catcher overthrew a center fielder who was covering second.

Amherst scored another unearned run in the sixth inning. Banning reached on an error, was moved over to second by a fielder's choice from sophomore Kara Stein and scored when a throw to third went past the Tonawanda third baseman.

Stein and senior Katie Bardak recorded Amherst's two hits.

Banning tossed a three-hitter with a strikeout and no walks. Banning received good defense behind her from sophomore second baseman Abby DeFrancis (four putouts, five assists) and Lankes (putout, five assists).

"It's always important to get a league win," said Amherst coach Mike Chatelle.

The Lady Tigers' first nonleague game didn't pan out as well.

Amherst dug themselves an 11-0 hole at Grand Island on April 8 before scoring a run in the fourth after Banning led off with a single and stole second, and Bardak doubled her in.

Amherst added a run in the sixth when DeFrancis scored on a fielder's choice, but the team lost 14-2.

"Grand Island has a nice hitting team," said Chatelle. "I think we could have played better defense… I don't think we had the same enthusiasm or jump in our step as the Tonawanda game, but we have to score more runs."

Lankes and Banning each had two hits. DeFrancis singled.

Amherst also committed two errors. They had none versus Tonawanda.

Amherst (1-1) doesn't return to action until Monday, April 21, when they start league play at 4:30 p.m. at Depew. Other league games that week include road games at Cheektowaga and Maryvale, April 22 and 23, respectively, followed by the home opener versus Iroquois on April 24. All are 4:30 p.m. starts.

"If we can string a few more hits together and keep playing well defensively, we should be OK," said Chatelle.