SHORELINE — For a minute it looked like they weren’t going to throw to Jamie Spenard.
One out away from his team’s second win of the season, Meadowdale softball coach Larry Culver called time and huddled with his players inside the pitcher’s circle.
With a runner on first and the Mavericks clinging to a 3-2 lead, Culver told his freshman pitcher and catcher to play it safe and not toss Spenard any strikes.
Turns out they underestimated Spenard’s strike zone.
The Shorewood slugger turned on the first pitch she saw and blasted the inside riser to deep left-center field for a double that scored Shannon Sullivan, who led off the inning with a single to left.
Angela DuBois then legged out an infield single and Spenard advanced to third. Brianna Wartman followed with a bloop single just over the first baseman’s reach to score Spenard, clinching a 4-3 comeback win over the Mavericks Monday at Shorewood High School.
Spenard felt jammed a bit on the pitch she connected on in the seventh, but got enough of the ball to launch it well over the center fielder.
“It was on my hands,” she said. “That’s why I got under it a bit. I was able to get some (power) on it. Luckily, it flew.”
After the fact, Culver chided himself for not issuing Spenard a walk.
“In hindsight, we should have put her on,” he said. “It’s easy to say that now.”
Wartman doubled to left and scored on a throwing error with two outs in the second inning to break a scoreless tie. In the third inning, Spenard belted a 3-0 offering to left for an RBI-double to give Shorewood a 2-0 lead.
Looking for just their second win of the season, the Mavericks charged ahead with a three-run fourth. Rachel Myhre led off the inning with a double to right-center, Christi Mallory walked and two batters later an error allowed Myhre to score.
Two more runs scored on Ashley Unger’s single to right, but Shorewood pitcher Heidi Heric retired the next 11 batters in order to seal the victory.
“The kids worked well,” Culver said. “They’ve been playing good defense all the way through.”
The Mavericks (1-10 league, 1-12 overall) recorded their only win April 15, shutting out district rival Lynnwood 2-0. Four of their losses have come by one run.
Culver has been impressed by how his players have taken the growing pains in stride.
“They’ve really been holding together well,” he said. “It’s the best mental group I’ve had. They’re right in the game every game.”
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