By Tim Wester
Sports Correspondent
The good news for the Union Grove girls softball team is that they are now 2-0 on the early season.
The bad news is they are also on track to give what their coach Ryan Boylen describes as heart attacks after blowing leads in both games before coming back to win.
The Broncos squandered a 4-1 lead to Waterford in the top of the seventh April 8 before adding the game-winning run in the bottom of the frame to escape with a 5-4 home victory in Southern Lakes Conference softball action.
Sam Carey’s bases-loaded RBI infield hit to deep short sealed the heart-stopping victory for the Broncos. Meanwhile on the mound for Union Grove, Alyssa McCelland nailed down the victory by firing the final two innings in relief. McCelland gave up two hits and three unearned runs for the win.
“At the end of the game we’ve beaten two really good teams and haven’t played well in doing so,” said Boylen, whose team beat Racine Case 7-5 in the season opener April 1. “But that should tell you something. The good thing is the only way to go is up, so hopefully we get better at putting teams away and not giving me heart attacks because we definitely let off the gas today after we got 4-1, which just can’t happen.”
One remedy for a weakened heart is a powerful offense, which is something that the Broncos leaned on against Waterford and will likely lean on throughout the season.
Cassidy Kortendick belted her third home run of the season in the third inning, while Carey had two runs batted in. Allie Trudeau also went 3-for-4 with an RBI with Claire Ryan also chipping in with three hits and two runs scored.
“We are fortunate to have between nine and 13 hitters that I can put into the lineup at any given time and expect to hit the ball well,” Boylen said. “We have one of most formidable lineups in the state. We won’t do anything spectacular, but we are steady and string hits together.”
The Bronco defense, however, is more of a work in progress. After jumping out to a comfortable 4-1 lead through six innings, Union Grove committed two costly errors in the top of the seventh to help Waterford knot the game at 4-4 with a three-run seventh inning.
Alyssa Schimellenga led the way for Waterford with a hit and a walk and two runs batted in.
“I think we had one error going into the seventh and then had two in the seventh inning,” Boylen said. Two very good fielders made errors, but it happens and sometimes you get those unexpected bounces and I think we are pressing a little bit. The good thing is that it’s early in the season and we’ll get through it.”
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