Amherst Central playing better
by PATRICK J. NAGY Reporter

Last week started out well for the Amherst Central softball team but ended with a whimper.

The Lady Tigers won ECIC Division III league games last Monday and Tuesday over Tonawanda, 5-4, Pioneer, 10-3, but lost Wednesday through Friday to ranked teams Depew, 5-3, Williamsville North, 5-1, and Maryvale, 5-0.

"I think after this week, we were a better team than at the end of last week," said Amherst coach Mike Chatelle. "Even though we didn't have a winning record, we played good teams and played some good softball."

Amherst opened the Tonawanda game with three runs in the first inning. Rachel Schepart hit a two-run double to knock in Eva Lankes and Kara Stein and Katie Bardak scored on an error.

"The girls came out focused and came ready to play in the first inning," said Chatelle. "You could see it in warm-ups."

Amherst made it 4-0 in the fourth when Dana Ruh scored Abby DeFrancis on a fielder's choice.

Tonawanda scored four runs in the top of the sixth to tie the game.

In the bottom of the sixth, Schepart singled to score Bardak for the game-winning run. Schepart finished with two hits and three RBIs.

Bardak added two hits, two runs and an RBI. Ruh, Lankes, Stein and DeFrancis each recorded a single.

Jessica Banning sent Tonawanda down 1-2-3 in the seventh, including two strikeouts, to end the game. She finished with a seven-hitter and seven strikeouts.

Amherst pounded out 14 hits against Pioneer.

The Lady Tigers trailed 2-0 when they scored four times in the top of the second. Darcy Regan led off with a double, moved to third on an error and scored on a single by Katy Tirella. Amherst later loaded the bases and Banning hit a three-run triple to score Tirella, Carolyn Trabert and Lankes.

In the fifth, Regan singled home DeFrancis and in the sixth, hit a three-run home run to the right center gap. Regan finished 4 for 4, scored two runs and had four RBIs.

Bardak hit a two-run home run to left center field in the seventh. She went 2 for 4, scored twice and added two RBIs.

Banning went 2 for 3 with three RBIs. Lankes added two hits.

DeFrancis singled at the plate and fired an eight-hitter with eight strikeouts and allowed two earned runs on the mound.

Amherst lost 8-2 the last time they played Depew. In the second meeting at Amherst, the Lady Tigers tied the game at 3-3 in the bottom of the fourth. Banning led off with a triple and scored on a passed ball and Regan singled home Bardak and DeFrancis. Three of Amherst's six hits came in the fourth.

Depew added two runs in the top of the sixth.

"We played a lot better this time against them," said Chatelle. "I like how we didn't give up and came back in the fourth. Depew came up with a couple of big hits with runners in scoring position."

Banning tossed a six-hitter with five strikeouts.

Bardak scored on a single by Schepart in the fourth for Amherst's only run against North. Amherst was limited to five hits. Regan had two hits. Lankes and Dana Illenos each had a hit.

Amherst left a runner on third in the first inning and the bases loaded against Maryvale on Friday at Amherst.

The Lady Flyers scored three times in the first and a run in the fifth and seventh.

Amherst recorded six hits. Lankes had two singles. DeFrancis, Schepart, Regan and Ruh each had singles.

Amherst (3-7, 3-11) fell to Cheektowaga, 8-1, in eight innings on Monday. They host Pioneer and Starpoint at 5 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday and Friday, respectively, and travel to Sweet Home for a 4:15 p.m. game on Thursday.