ARGYLE - Cincinnati Reds manager Dusty Baker has his signature toothpicks, and Argyle softball coach Heidi Ganshert has her gum.
Ganshert chomped on her gum Thursday night, waiting for her ace pitcher to harness her control. The Argyle softball team (6-11 overall) was clinging to a 5-2 lead and Pecatonica had Kelsey Bartels on the ropes after she walked the bases loaded in the seventh inning.
But Bartels got Pecatonica senior Nicole Boese to ground to third and Tina Dammen threw home to cut down the lead runner. Bartels then struck out Pecatonica's Dana Gilbertson, ending the threat and preserving a 5-2 WIAA Division 4 regional win.
"Obviously, I was nervous," Ganshert said. "She (Bartels) does well under pressure. It doesn't seem to bother her. She did her job. That's a lot of pressure as a freshman."
Bartels gave up two runs on four hits. She walked 12, hit one and struck out eight. She also was effectively wild, and remained focused despite a roller coaster night.
"I just really wanted to strike (Gilbertson) out," Bartels said. "I was really nervous and I had a full count. I just really wanted to get that strike in there."
The Orioles jumped out to an early lead in the second. Argyle junior Kelsey Ostby reached on an error. Pecatonica senior Mallory Massey walked two to load the bases. Argyle senior Chelsea Zersen hit a bloop RBI-single to right. Argyle senior Amber Thomas then delivered a clutch two-out RBI-single to give the Orioles a 2-0 lead.
Pecatonica (3-19) capitalized on some wildness by Bartels to rally in the fourth. Massey and Abby Smith-Krause walked to set things up. Then Boese's fly ball to left dropped in, slicing the Orioles' lead to 2-1. The Vikings tied the score at 2-2 on a bases-loaded walk to senior Molly Dieterich.
The Vikings squandered scoring opportunities, stranding 15 runners, and left the bases loaded in the third, fourth, fifth and seventh.
"Our philosophy is to make the pitcher work," Pecatonica coach Chuck Meyer said. "I don't think I took the bat out of anyone's hands. She (Bartels) is young and we wanted to rattle her.
"I'm proud of the girls. They are battlers."
The Orioles took advantage of two Viking errors in the fifth to score three unearned runs. Seniors Thomas and Kelli Fischer both reached on errors. The Orioles scored the go-ahead run after Fischer stole second and the throw sailed into center, allowing Thomas to score. Argyle senior Brittany Flannery, who was 2-for-3, singled. Ostby then delivered a sacrifice fly to give the Orioles a 4-2 lead. A wild throw from home to third escaped into left, giving the Orioles an insurance run.
That set the stages for a nailbiting seventh.
"We practice it every day in practice; one out, bases loaded," Ganshert said. "That is where we have struggled all year, to make plays when it counts."
Argyle now plays No. 1 seed Barneveld on Tuesday, May 20.
Ganshert chomped on her gum Thursday night, waiting for her ace pitcher to harness her control. The Argyle softball team (6-11 overall) was clinging to a 5-2 lead and Pecatonica had Kelsey Bartels on the ropes after she walked the bases loaded in the seventh inning.
But Bartels got Pecatonica senior Nicole Boese to ground to third and Tina Dammen threw home to cut down the lead runner. Bartels then struck out Pecatonica's Dana Gilbertson, ending the threat and preserving a 5-2 WIAA Division 4 regional win.
"Obviously, I was nervous," Ganshert said. "She (Bartels) does well under pressure. It doesn't seem to bother her. She did her job. That's a lot of pressure as a freshman."
Bartels gave up two runs on four hits. She walked 12, hit one and struck out eight. She also was effectively wild, and remained focused despite a roller coaster night.
"I just really wanted to strike (Gilbertson) out," Bartels said. "I was really nervous and I had a full count. I just really wanted to get that strike in there."
The Orioles jumped out to an early lead in the second. Argyle junior Kelsey Ostby reached on an error. Pecatonica senior Mallory Massey walked two to load the bases. Argyle senior Chelsea Zersen hit a bloop RBI-single to right. Argyle senior Amber Thomas then delivered a clutch two-out RBI-single to give the Orioles a 2-0 lead.
Pecatonica (3-19) capitalized on some wildness by Bartels to rally in the fourth. Massey and Abby Smith-Krause walked to set things up. Then Boese's fly ball to left dropped in, slicing the Orioles' lead to 2-1. The Vikings tied the score at 2-2 on a bases-loaded walk to senior Molly Dieterich.
The Vikings squandered scoring opportunities, stranding 15 runners, and left the bases loaded in the third, fourth, fifth and seventh.
"Our philosophy is to make the pitcher work," Pecatonica coach Chuck Meyer said. "I don't think I took the bat out of anyone's hands. She (Bartels) is young and we wanted to rattle her.
"I'm proud of the girls. They are battlers."
The Orioles took advantage of two Viking errors in the fifth to score three unearned runs. Seniors Thomas and Kelli Fischer both reached on errors. The Orioles scored the go-ahead run after Fischer stole second and the throw sailed into center, allowing Thomas to score. Argyle senior Brittany Flannery, who was 2-for-3, singled. Ostby then delivered a sacrifice fly to give the Orioles a 4-2 lead. A wild throw from home to third escaped into left, giving the Orioles an insurance run.
That set the stages for a nailbiting seventh.
"We practice it every day in practice; one out, bases loaded," Ganshert said. "That is where we have struggled all year, to make plays when it counts."
Argyle now plays No. 1 seed Barneveld on Tuesday, May 20.
