Elba quiets Goshen in 6-2 win to take control of area championship race

ELBA – Goshen’s Wednesday afternoon in Elba can be summed up in one word: silence.

Following a 6-3 loss at the hands of the Lady Tigers, Goshen players walked off the field without saying a word, Lady Eagle fans sat in the bleaches quietly and head coach Amy Warrick had little to say following the game.

“We just didn’t come to play today,” said Warrick. “I really don’t know what to say. They hit the ball and our bats were silenced. Our area games have all been close, and today we just didn’t have it.”

Elba led 2-0, following a couple of costly Goshen errors, but the Lady Eagles rallied back in the top of the fifth inning to score a pair of runs of their own.

Casey Allen and Samantha Roy reached on back-to-back singles, and later scored on throwing errors following a slap bunt from Haley Hughes.

Allen scored on a high throw to the catcher following the bunt, and Roy came home after the catcher fired the ball in to left field attempting to get Roy advancing from second to third.

Elba went to work in the bottom of the sixth inning, and picked up a four pack of runs to gap themselves away from the Lady Eagles.

The Lady Tigers loaded the bases with two weak singles and walk, before Elba’s A.J. Sent a hard ground ball between third and shortstop.

Goshen shortstop Fran Warrick fielded the ball cleanly, but mishandled the transfer attempting to cut down the lead runner at the plate. The error allowed all runners to be safe, and the inning stayed alive.

The next batter up, Emily Hudson, has hit to bring home another run. The biggest blow of the game came from the bat of Elba’s two-hole hitter Ariel Scott. Scott doubled over Warrick’s head to bring home two runs and give Elba a four-run lead heading to the final inning.

Goshen went in order in the top of the seventh to end the area contest.

Amy Warrick tipped her hat to Hudson, Elba’s pitcher, saying that she kept the Lady Eagles off balance all day.

“Our girls were getting under a little, and then she would come back with the changeup and catch them leaning,” said Warrick. “It was just good pitching. If a pitcher can throw a changeup and fastball for strikes, then it makes for a long day. That’s the way she worked us, and props to her. We have told the girls all year to keep their weight back, and today it looked like we were lunging towards the ball. We just have to go back to work and fix the mistakes.”

With the loss, Goshen no longer controls their own destiny in terms of winning the regular season area title.

But not all hope is lost. If Zion Chapel beats Elba on Thursday and Goshen knocks off New Brockton on Tuesday, the Lady Rebels, Lady Tigers and Lady Eagles would all be tied.

It would then come down to a tiebreaker to determine the host of the area tournament.

But before Warrick and the Lady Eagles begin talking about hosting, they have business to take care of.

“We can’t worry about all that who beat who and by how many runs stuff,” said Warrick. “We have to go out and play our games and win. If we don’t win, it does not matter who beats who. The only team we are concerned about right now is Goshen.”