Benjamin Logan couldn’t find its momentum as the Lady Raiders lost to visiting Shawnee 6-1 on Monday, in a Central Buckeye Conference softball showdown between the teams currently leading the Mad River Division.
They came in with identical records of 6-1 in the league and 9-2 overall.
Shawnee scored one run in each of the first three innings, then added one in the fifth and two more in the sixth.
Getting the win was Shawnee’s Lilly Adams. She pitched five innings, allowing just two hits and one walk, while putting up 10 strikeouts.
Aleeseah Trimmer allowed one run in the sixth, then got three outs in the seventh.
For Ben Logan, starter Adilynne Gregg pitched 5-plus innings, facing three batters in the sixth. Gregg allowed nine hits, walked one and struck out five. Chloe Crumm worked two innings in relief, getting five strikeouts, with one hit and one walk.
Crumm had a hit and the RBI, with other hits from Rylan Norviel and Sidney Sallee.
Ben Logan coach Amanda Davis said, “I don’t think we ever really got in the groove tonight offensively. We got a couple people on, and then we couldn’t string things together.”
She added that, “We could have laid over, but we got a run in the sixth. I appreciate their fight. We just have to figure out how to make it work a few more times when we go down there on Wednesday.”
Gregg retired the first two hitters, then Maura Simpson belted a triple to center field. When the relay throw went a little off target, she steamed down the line to score the first run.
In the second, Lily Wilson reached on a bunt. She went to second on a groundout and scored on a hit by Adams. Adams was then caught too far off the first base bag, and a strikeout kept it at 2-0.
Crumm broke up any hopes of a no-hitter with a single to center in the bottom half, but was left aboard.
Shawnee’s Jaylynn Roberts singled to start the third. Two groundouts moved her into scoring position. Simpson hit a grounder to short and a low throw skipped into foul ground, allowing Roberts to score run number three.
Shawnee left one runner on in the fourth, while Ben Logan went in order.
With one down in the fifth, Nicole Greene blooped a hit that landed just behind first and fair by about a foot. The next hitter was retired on a flyout to center. Simpson then hit a home run. However, the umpire ruled that Shawnee courtesy runner Addyson Plummer failed to touch the plate. She was ruled out, but the home run was allowed to stand.
Sallee singled to right with one out in the bottom half. Kylie Harner sacrificed her to second. Gregg drew a walk, with Bonnie Brunson taking her spot to run. However, Adams got one more strikeout to end the threat.
Scarlett Crawford reached on an error, and sped around to third. Wilson then beat out a bunt single, with Crawford holding in place. A passed ball brought her in, then a single by Emma George to right-center made it 6-0.
Davis switched to Crumm in the circle, who got three strikeouts.
Rostorfer hit a pop fly to the inner edge of the outfield. Two batters later, Norviel singled to right, putting Rostorfer at third. Crumm hit one to the outfield and Rostorfer crossed to break up the shutout.
Crumm retired three of five batters in the seventh. Ben Logan then went down on a flyout and two strikeouts to end the game.
The Raiders and Braves will reunite on Wednesday at Shawnee. Game time is 5:15 p.m.
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In other softball action Monday:
Bellefontaine 12, Jonathan Alder 7
Bellefontaine snapped a four game losing streak with a win over visiting Jonathan Alder at home Monday in CBC play.
Joy Fogan got the victory, pitching five innings, with four walks and three strikeouts. Kassi Prine finished up, with one walk and 2 Ks.
Airiana Young had four hits and Laila Butler got three, plus a walk. Prine and Addison Wical had triples, while Fogan and Chloe Heminger each hit a double.
Bellefontaine scored three in the first and five more in the second, then one in the third, one in the fourth and two in the sixth.
Alder had one in the second, two in the fourth and fourth in the fifth.
Bellefontaine (2-5 CBC, 4-8 overall) and Alder meet again Wednesday, with the Pioneers playing host.
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Indian Lake 7, Northwestern 6
Indian Lake defeated visiting Indian Lake in CBC action in eight innings.
In the fourth and fifth innings, the Warriors scored six runs, while the Lakers had three. Indian Lake then got three more in the bottom of the seventh.
Bre Wisener took home the victory with a complete game. She allowed five hits, with five walks and three strikeouts.
Halle Roby had the game winning hit, with Mackenzie Dixon scoring the run.
Dixon and Abigail Elliott each had a double, with RBIs by Elliott and Izzi Mackesy.
After Northwestern scored twice in the fourth, Elliott doubled, then used two groundouts to get around to score in the bottom half.
A grand slam for Northwestern in the fifth made it 6-1. The Lakers loaded the bases in their at-bat as well on two hit batsman and an error. A passed ball and single by Elliott cut the gap down.
The Lakers runs in the seventh were due to Northwestern fielding errors. The Warriors got two aboard in the top of the eighth, but couldn’t score.
Addison Stinemetz walked in the bottom half. A flyout by Kit Miller was followed by a grounder from Dixon. Stinemetz was forced out at second.
Roby then ended it with a triple to deep center.
Indian Lake (4-4 CBC, 8-6 overall) travels to Anna today with the first pitch at 5 p.m.
Mechanicsburg 9, West Liberty-Salem 3
MECHANICSBURG — West Liberty-Salem lost to Mechanicsburg in Ohio Heritage Conference play.
The Lady Tigers are 4-6 in the OHC and 5-7 overall.
West Liberty-Salem scored in the first, fourth and seventh innings. Mechanicsburg got two in the first, two in the third, three in the fourth and two in the sixth.
Kennedy Wallace allowed 15 hits and recorded eight strikeouts.
Teagan Boyd and Kaylee Blair each had two hits, with an RBI for Olivia Reichardt.
The rematch will be today at 5 p.m., with WL-S as the host.