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The Hornets greet junior Clara Cherry at the plate after her three-run home run during Saline's 9-run second inning.
4-12-2021 1:52am
SOFTBALL: Saline Opens 2021 By Splitting Doubleheader With Trenton
The Saline varsity softball team returned to action for the first time in nearly two years, Saturday, splitting a doubleheader with a tough Trenton team.
The Hornets lost the first game, 7-6, and then bounced back to win the second game, 13-10.
Laura Vaccaro, hired as softball coach prior to the 2020 season that never happened, finally got to see her team in action.
"It was really surreal this morning, when we drove up this morning, just to see chalk lines on the field again," Vaccaro said. "We've waited a long time for this, so it meant a lot to be out here."
The Hornets started strong in the opener but tailed off at the end of the game. Saline built a 6-0 after three innings but watched Trenton chip away at the lead before scoring four in the seventh.
Senior Elaina Walker took the loss, giving up seven runs (six earned) on nine hits and five walks.
Grace Munn went 2-for-3 with two doubles and three RBI for Saline. Walker went 2-for-4 with a double. Emily Sweetland singled and scored two runs.
In the second game, each team scored a run in the first. Then the Hornets exploded for nine runs in the second inning. The onslaught was highlighted by the first varsity home run for Clara Cherry, who was called up from JV because of a few travel-related quarantines. Cherry's blast easily cleared the fence in center and scored three runs.
"She's a great athlete," Vaccaro said. "We pulled her up and she stepped up and did what she needed to do today. I'm really thankful for that."
Grace Munn earned the win. She pitched four innings and gave up nine runs (three earned) on 10 hits and no walks. She struck out five.
Trenton carved into Saline's lead with a six-run fourth. In the fifth, Trenton's leadoff hitter reached on an error. She stole second and scored on a single, taking second on the throw.
With the tying run on base, Vaccaro called in Walker. Walker retired the next three batters.
"Elaina did a great job in the second game. It's important to be able to go back to your senior leader/captain in a situation like that and have her come out of it," Vaccaro said. "Elaina gets excited and wants to throw hard, we love that about her. But sometimes we have to center her back to, 'Hey, what's more important is that you spin the ball.' Because I don't need you to strike everyone out. I need you to make them mishit it. When you spin the ball, that's what happens."
The Hornets responded by putting up three more runs in the bottom of the inning. Jillian Whitley singled to center and Walker walked before Sara Owen doubled to center, scoring one run. Then Abby Kleinschmidt singled to center, scoring another run. Munn singled to score Saline's 13th run.
Owen finished the game at 3-for-4 with two runs and two hits. Walker, Kleinschmidt, Munn, Cherry and Morgan Clark each had two hits. Kleinschmidt drove in four runs and Walker scored three runs.
Walker allowed one run on three hits in three innings of work. She struck out two and walked none.
Vaccaro lined up Trenton to test her Hornets.
"This is an incredibly talented team. There's a reason I scheduled a tough match for our first doubleheader. I need them to know how good they are," Vaccaro said.
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