Manchester Valley softball avenges recent loss to Liberty with 8-5 win
Perhaps no softball team needed a win more than Manchester Valley.
After losing two of its last three games, including a tough loss to Westminster a night earlier, the Mavericks got a second shot at a Liberty team that beat them, 10-0, a week ago.
Looking to bounce back, get some revenge and build momentum for the season’s stretch run, the Mavericks jumped out to an early lead and scored some key runs late to defeat the Lions, 8-5, Thursday night.
“This win was a double banger for us,” coach Michael Hernandez said. “Last week, these guys smoked us and yesterday we lost the game to Westminster. So a game like this was huge for us being able to battle back and win this game.”
The scoring got started in the third inning as Brooke Simms knocked in two runs with a single. Simms, the game’s winning pitcher, used the early lead and cruised through the early part of the game with four scoreless innings.
“She did really well with moving her pitches in and out,” Hernandez said. “We tried to keep their hitters off balance and she was able to execute some key pitches when she really needed to.”
Olivia Smith, Kaylee Lettau and Kasey Thomas helped Simms out offensively, all hitting the ball well for the Mavericks (9-5) in their 11-hit day. Lettau went 2-for-4 on the day, driving in two runs with a double in the sixth inning, breaking open the game late.
“I was just focused on contact,” Lettau said. “I just wanted to hit the ground hard, put the ball on the ground and let my teammates run.”
A big factor in Manchester Valley’s win was the defense of both teams. The two starting pitchers — Simms and Liberty’s Sophia Steele — were backed up by two differing defensive performances.
After a strong start, Liberty’s defense struggled, committing five errors on the day and the Mavericks took advantage on the base paths.
Manchester Valley meanwhile, was strong defensively as the Liberty hitters remained aggressive throughout the day despite the score. Finishing without an error in the field, it was the defense behind Simms that gave her the confidence as the Lions (10-5) made a final run.
“It feels great,” she said. “It was really nerve racking in the beginning and then as soon as we started scoring runs and then my defense behind me was backing me up, I felt a lot better and they allowed me to focus more on my pitching.”
Late in the season, where every win counts, it was the Mavericks on top and on a high after taking Round 2 of a tough county matchup, in the process defining themselves as a team.
“Last time we got handed a beating so we knew we were coming after them,” Lettau said. “It really showed our character as Mavs not backing down and keeping our hopes up.”
Manchester Valley — 003 004 1 — 8 11 0
Liberty — 000 120 2 — 5 7 3
WP: Brooke Simms (MV) LP: Sophia Steele (L)
2B: MV — Kaylee Lettau ; L — Kaelin Ault, Kristen Kreh ; 3B: Kaelin Ault HR: Jessie Shafer.