HUGHESVILLE — It’s hard not to be anxious at the plate. It’s hard not to swing as hard as possible at every pitch.
But Beth Bonnell is learning to relax at bat and also cut down her swing.
The Warrior Run sophomore first baseman Monday showed how much she has learned.
Bonnell went 3-for-4 in helping the Defenders even their season record at 8-8 (7-8 SVL) with an 8-2 non-league victory over the Spartans.
Bonnell singled in a run in Warrior Run’s five-run fourth and tripled and scored as the Defenders added a run in the fifth. They finished the scoring with two in the sixth.
It was Warrior Run’s third straight win as they attempt to make the playoffs. They face Jersey Shore on the road today and still must go against unbeaten Milton, Mifflinburg and Midd-West. Two wins would give them a District 4 Class AA playoff spot.
Sophomore Maddie Bird went the distance for the winners, allowing nine hits. She fanned three and didn’t walk a batter.
Warrior Run went fairly quiet in the first three innings as Alyssa Frycklund limited them to two hits. But that quickly ended in the fourth.
Merissa Hendricks doubled over the head of the center fielder and Danielle Cutchall singled to short right. Bonnell singled in Hendricks and took second on an outfield error.
Cutchall had scored on the error and Bonnell came home on Brit Swartz’ sacrifice bunt. Emily Roat, who earlier had a bunt single, scored on a throwing error. Bird drove in the final run of the frame with a single, plating Sarah Byers who reached on a third-strike wild pitch.
“My coaches have been telling me to ease up on my swing because I get so nervous when I’m up to bat,” Bonnell said. “I’ve been trying that and it’s been working. Everyone else is starting to do it slowly.
“It (the win) boosted our confidence. Since we’re 8 and 8 now, we want to get into the playoffs. Our team is coming together really well.”
Garth Watson, the WR coach, said “We knew we would be in for a good game. They have some girls who have been around the game a while. But the girls finally got the bats going and put the ball in play.”
Of Bonnell, Watson said, “She gets her weight on her back foot and swings a lot with her upper body. She has a lot of power. If she puts the ball in play, it will be a rocket at you. She is really coming alive. Now is the best time for that.”
Warrior Run also played fine defense. In the first, Kelsey Ritter, who went 3-for-3 for the Spartans, singled to center and went to third as the ball was misplayed. But she was cut down as Ashley Wooley bunted to Bird who threw her out at first and second baseman Cutchall fired home to get Ritter.
In the second, the Defenders pulled off another double play. On the ground ball to first, after a single, Bonnell touched the bag and threw to second to get the runner.
Another fine defensive play helped the Defenders hold Hughesville to only two runs in the sixth.
Amber Earnest, who was on second, was cut down at the plate on a fine throw from Brit Swartz as she tried to score on a single.
Hughesville collected five of its nine hits in the sixth when it scored its two runs.
Hughesville is now 8-8 after the loss.
Note: Hughesville left the SVL a couple of years ago, but will once again be paired with Warrior Run next season as the Spartans will be part of the Heartland Conference.