Lakeview stays atop standings

The Bulldogs defeated Champion for the second time this season.
By TOM WILLIAMS
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
CORTLAND -- Shakedown Week for Trumbull Athletic Conference high school softball began with a pitchers duel that erupted into a blowout.
Nursing a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the fifth inning, Lakeview scored eight times Monday for an 11-1 triumph over Champion that keeps the Bulldogs (8-1, 4-0 TAC) atop the league standings.
Because of the Valley's wild weather in early April, TAC teams are loaded with makeups. This week, Lakeview plays Hubbard twice plus LaBrae and Girard.
"We would have played one over spring break, but I told them to go with their families," Lakeview coach Carl Eaton said. "That kind of increased [our makeup schedule] so I did it to us."
Eaton says there are positives to playing daily after having so many games postponed.
"The one week where we played all our games, the girls were in a groove hitting, they fielded the ball well," Eaton said. "So in the end it could work out well for us."
Last year, the Bulldogs and LaBrae were TAC co-champions while Champion went on to finish state runner-up in Division III.
This season, the Golden Flashes (5-6, 1-5) are rebuilding after four years of contending.
Sophomore Abbey Bensing (5-1) tossed a three-hitter to get the win.
"This is great," Bensing said. "We knew that we had to beat them to show we're [contenders]."
Conference clarity
Chasing the Bulldogs for league supremacy are Hubbard, Newton Falls and LaBrae. By the end of the week, the Bulldogs will have a good idea of where they stand.
"Our main goal is to beat LaBrae because we tied them last year," senior catcher Chelsea Butler said. "They still have their [strong] pitchers [twins Stepfanie and Lindsey Higgins].
"Hubbard has a new pitcher and they're pretty good," said Butler who scored twice. "If we beat LaBrae and Hubbard twice, we should at least have another tie."
Bensing, who struck out five and walked one, said she thinks this week is "going to be difficult because they are all hard games."
Unlike most players who hate multiple postponements, Bensing said Mother Nature did her a favor.
"It was good for me," Bensing said. "After we played Champion the first time, my back was bothering me so I took a week off. Then I was back ready to go. And our shortstop's [Jennifer Baker] arm was bothering her. So the break was good for us."
The Golden Flashes jumped ahead 1-0 in the first inning when Katie Saluga reached on a fielder's choice and Jessica Frantz hit a two-out double.
"It was my fault," Bensing said. "[Butler] called for a rise and I didn't move it so it was right down the middle. It just goes to show how one pitch can change a game. They got one run on a mess-up."
Breaking through
The Bulldogs took the lead in their first at-bat after Baker, Angela DiCesare and Butler singled off Champion's Morgan White.
By the third time through the lineup, the Bulldogs were ready.
"We just got used to the pitcher," Butler said. "She's a lefty so she was pitching outside most of the time so we just had to step out toward the ball."
Eaton said familiarity was a factor.
"We saw her last time and that was a 0-0 ball game until the eighth when we erupted for five runs," Eaton said. "She's a good pitcher but we just started seeing the ball well."
Champion coach Cheryl Weaver credited Lakeview's batters for key hits during the big inning.
"We made a couple of errors and their [hits] dropped in, like the one right down the third-base line," Weaver said. "There's not much you can do against that kind of hitting."
williams@vindy.com