The Chargers Open 3-0
The Edison State Chargers softball team would return to more spring-like conditions on Saturday to play their final of a three-game series with visiting St. Clair Community College to open their 2024 campaign.
Article by Rob K. Winkle, Jr., B.A. | Photos by Reflections by Rob, LLC
The Edison State Chargers softball team would return to more spring-like conditions on Saturday to play their final of a three-game series with visiting St. Clair Community College to open their 2024 campaign.
The Chargers were again ignited by the production of Sophomore left-fielder Alison Cox (Triad HS), whose RBI total in three games would account for 9 of the 38 Chargers runs scored in the series. Adding Cox's runs scored six. She was the offensive star for the Chargers in their home opening series. Cox finished Saturday's action going 2-4, HR, 2 RBI, 3 R, and 1 K. Ali Cox's season total to jumpstart her season would end after three at 6-11, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 6 R, and a .545 batting average.
The 2024 Chargers consist of only four sophomores (including Cox) all four were heavy contributors in their veteran leadership to the team in this three-game stretch as well but the freshman debuts stole the show for the Chargers.
Freshman second baseman Elise McCann (Troy HS) in this game was solid on offense going 2-3 with 1 RBI, 1 BB, and 2 R bringing her OBP% to a nearly perfect .750%. Defense was the name of the game for McCann effectively locking down the right side of the diving with multiple diving plays and acrobatic putouts along the right side she did commit one error in the series but not today the backside was no-side for the opposing Skippers of St. Clair. After today's game, McCann's season offensive totals landed at .556, 2 RBIs, 2 SB, 4 R, and 1 E.
The Chargers would come out "Charged-up" as this team's motto says, posting six runs in the bottom of the first inning backed by multiple contributors in their lineup, the opposition would fight back in the second and tie the game at six until the fourth inning.
Freshman third baseman Kaycie Albers (Minster HS) would single home the Chargers' first two runs in the bottom of the first with a single and would go 1-3 with 3 RBIs on the day(4 RBIs in the series and a .333 avg).
Freshman right fielder Gracee Cassidy (Xenia HS), would double in the next two Chargers runs in the bottom of the first bringing the score to 4-0 early. Cassidy's day would end with her going 2-3, 2 2Bs, 3 RBIs, 2 R, and committing the only Edison State miscue in the field. Cassidy finished her opening series as a Charger with a .429 average and 7 RBIs.
The next run would come off the bat of freshman Shay Swick (Bradford HS), who would go 3-4 in the game knocking in a total of two runs and scoring two herself at the designated player position bringing the Chargers lead to 5-0.
McCann's name would come up again when she knocked in her lone RBI to put her team up 6-0 and Edison State batted around the entire lineup in the first inning sparking a start the Chargers were confident with at the end of one.
Another freshman Allison Davis (East Central HS (Ind.)) would give up 7 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, fan 9, and face 29 St. Clair batters completing her six innings for the win. Davis the second freshman pitcher of the series to shine for the Chargers as Freshman Erika Gostomsky also went a complete game in game one and hit her first career home run. The Chargers pitching staff of course was not all about the young players in this series Sophomore Anna Quinn pitched a game two win and was 1-1 in this game as a substitution. This game would be tied at six until the top of the fourth when St. Clair took the lead by one however, that lead was short.
An always consistent sophomore contributor, catcher Andrea Fyffe (Kenton Ridge HS) would fire up the Chargers' half of the fifth inning with a one-run single in her 2-4 1 RBI (5-12 .417 series total) performance for the day approaching 60 RBIs in her Edison State career at 57 after today. Fyffe's hit would be part of a five-run performance by the Chargers in their half of the fourth.
Cox would hit her homerun in the bottom of the fifth plating the only two Chargers runs in the fifth after five the score would be 13-7 Chargers.
Freshman center-fielder Kayla Day (Mechanicsburg HS) would record her only hit of the day when it mattered most, knocking in the two walk-off winning runs to end the game via a run rule in the bottom of the sixth inning 15-7. She was 1-3 with 1 BB, 1 K, and 2 RBIs on the day.
The Chargers would complete their season-opening series with a perfect 3-0 record outscoring their opponents St. Clair Community College by a total margin of 38-13. The future and this season look bright for this young Chargers team. With experienced, consistent, and productive leadership from its sophomores combined with the raw firepower of their bats and defensive prowess, this team is a force to be reckoned with in the OCCAC this year. The ladies are next in action on March 9 at 11:00 am taking on Grace Christian University in a Saturday doubleheader they will then make their first road appearance this year traveling to Asbury University for a doubleheader on March 12.
To view all available photographs of games, please visit Reflections by Rob, LLC.