CLINTON TWP. — Forest City came through with clutch hits while Lackawanna Trail remained mired in a bit of an offensive slump.
Lady Foresters junior pitcher Kary Gillette hit two home runs and drove in four runs to help Forest City defeat the Lady Lions, 6-2, in a Lackawanna League Division 4 softball game April 30.
Gillette also made a big impact in the circle by allowing just three hits and striking out 10 batters over seven innings.
“She’s definitely a very good ball player,” Lackawanna Trail head coach John Richter said. “She kept us off balance the whole game and we really didn’t get a lot of solid swings.”
Lackawanna Trail freshman third baseman Bella Coleman walked, stole second base and advanced to third on a passed ball in the bottom of the second, but Gillette struck out the next two batters to end the Lady Lions’ threat.
“We didn’t get the timely hits that we needed,” Richter said.
Gillette delivered a big blow in the top of the third to break a scoreless tie.
After freshman designated player Emily Gorton singled and junior second baseman Alissa Pelick walked, she belted a three-run home run over the wall in left-center field.
“I just wanted to hit the ball and put it in play so we could score runs,” Gillette said.
Forest City (3-4) added another run in the third when junior catcher Tomi Ann Holiday drove in freshman shortstop Bella Pleska with an RBI single.
Coleman was stranded at third base for the second time in the game in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Gillette hit a solo home run to give Forest City a 5-0 lead in the top of the sixth inning, and junior center fielder Maggie Kowalewski walked and scored on a wild pitch for the Lady Foresters in the fifth.
Lackawanna Trail (4-4) broke through in the bottom of the sixth when junior catcher Samantha Baltrusaitis singled and senior pitcher Ally Decker followed with a two-run home run.
After scoring 47 runs through their four games, the Lady Lions pushed across a total of 11 over the last five contests.
“We made a few errors that put girls in scoring position, but you’re not going to beat a team like them scoring two runs, either,” Richter said. “They are a good team…they are very much improved from last year and the year before.”
Lackawanna Trail has four division games left in the regular season and Richter believes they can turn things around.
“We have a young team and we’re just trying to work things out,” he said. “We’re still going through some growing pains, but I’m confident in the team. I’m not overly concerned, but we need to be improving every day.”