Bath's win has familiar look

BATH TOWNSHIP - They both had seen this before earlier this season.

Bath rolled to an 11-0 win over Elida in a Division II softball sectional championship game on Thursday in what was almost a replay of their regular-season matchup.

Bath won that previous game 11-0 behind the one-hit pitching of Shelby Snyder. Thursday, she repeated her earlier shutout and allowed just two hits.

Bath coach Laura Ford issued the customary warning to her Wildkittens before the game about not overlooking a team they had handled easily during the regular season.

But it quickly became apparent the Wildkittens (20-5) didn't need any admonitions.

Alyssa Maag singled home the first run of the game in the bottom of the second inning, then the next batter, designated player Emily Shutt, launched a two-run home run over the right field fence for a 3-0 lead.

Bath added three more runs in the third inning, then got five runs in the fourth for its run-rule victory.

"They'll never believe me again, will they?" Ford said, with a laugh, when asked if she had cautioned her team before the game.

"But when it comes to tournament time, especially when you play somebody like Elida, you expect them to bring their best all the time. We stressed the importance of being ready."

Shutt said, "She just told us to come in and give it our all, and not to be cocky or anything, that this could be it, so just go out and play your hardest."

Shutt's home run - her first since last season - did give her a moment of concern, though.

"I didn't feel like I hit it very hard. I got scared and had to run harder. Then I looked up and saw it go over (the fence)," she said.

The first two hitters in Bath's lineup, Amanda Ricker and Caitlin Burden, each had two hits and were on base a total of five times. Emily Jordan, Heather Piper and Shutt all drove in two runs.

Snyder struck out five and didn't walk a batter. Elida's Devin Fernandez led off the game with a single, which was the last hit Snyder allowed until Annie Conrad led off the top of the fifth with another single.

"We don't ask her to do anything but throw strikes and let the defense play behind her," Ford said about the Wildkittens' pitcher. "She did a great job moving the ball around (Thursday)."

Even though Jamie Hollar gave up 11 runs and nine hits, Elida coach Bob Elsass liked what he saw from the senior pitcher.

"She had an MRI done (Wednesday) and it looks like she's going to have to have some (rotator cuff) surgery," Elsass said. "Give her credit for being a battler. She wasn't at full strength. We were trying to get by with whatever we could for pitches and location and that's not Jamie."

Bath (20-5) will play Celina at 5 p.m. Wednesday at Bath in a district semifinal game. Elida dropped out of the tournament with a 9-15 record.