When playing in the Southwestern Conference, track records of previous games are thrown out the window.
Just as Elyria experienced the winning side in a 3-1 victory over Olmsted Falls, Avon Lake gave the Pioneers the bitter taste of their own medicine April 3.
With a 15-5 road victory, the Shoregals showcased the unpredictability of the SWC.
“(The SWC) is great, and we love it,” Avon Lake coach Brandon Webster said. “The beauty of this conference is that you have to bring your A-game in every game. … I believe if Avon Lake can bring its A-game, I feel like it can compete with anybody.”
Keenan Williams is in his first season coaching the Pioneers, and he is quickly learning the wild nature of the SWC.
“It really is (unpredictable). That is what we are finding out. Today was a perfect lesson in that,” he said. “If you don’t show up to play, anybody can beat you and you can beat anybody if you are on your game.”
The future appeared to be bright for Elyria, as it defeated Olmsted Falls, which previously upset North Ridgeville, 6-5. Yet, the Pioneers came out flat as Avon Lake’s bats heated up.
The Shoregals recorded 15 hits, and Carmen McMinn drove in four runs with three hits (two doubles, one triple).
“I was just having fun, and I was loose,” she said. “I couldn’t have done this without my teammates. It is the batter that hits the ball, but it is the teammates that gives you the momentum and energy to make you feel good enough in the batter’s box.”
Avon Lake also had eight extra-base hits, which is a lot considering that it usually relies on a small-ball approach.
“I think (Elyria) thinking that we were going to lay down (bunts) kept them off-balance a little bit,” Webster said. “They didn’t know if we were bunting or hitting. We are a small-ball team, but we can also hit.”
McMinn scored a pair of runs and kickstarted the offense with a double that scored three runs in the first.
“I was looking for my pitch. If it wasn’t there, I wasn’t swinging. I saw it, had a low swing and (the ball) flew,” McMinn said.
Avon Lake jumped to a 7-0 lead, but Elyria scored three runs in the bottom frame.
Elyria cut the lead to 7-5 with a solo inside-the-park home run from shortstop Morgan Palos, and Jaelyn Green stealing home. However, Avon Lake reestablished a commanding lead in the fourth inning.
Shoregals’ center fielder Emerson Burgess (4-for-4) began the fourth inning with a triple. They had four more hits with two Elyria errors to lead 14-5.
Avon Lake snapped a two-game losing streak and improved to 2-3 (1-1 in SWC).
As Avon Lake aims for improvement, Webster noticed one bad inning that would ruin previous games.
Elyria had the bases loaded with one out in the fourth inning. Instead of letting the Pioneers back in the game, the Shoregals quickly retired the next two batters for a scoreless fourth inning.
“We have a firm belief that momentum creates energy and energy creates runs. At the end of the day, we knew that (Elyria) had the momentum. The only way to stop that was to have a mound visit, slow it down and change the pace. The only change of pace was the lefty (pitcher Burgess).”
Burgess relieved starting pitcher Audrey Kunzelman after 3 1/3 innings. Kunzelman was awarded the win.
Elyria fell to 3-2 (1-2 in SWC). Williams thought his team came out flat compared to its previous performances.
“I just told them that we didn’t do anything at a high varsity level today. Hit, pitch and fielding in the infield and outfield, we didn’t do anything at the varsity level,” Williams said. “We gifted (Avon Lake) runs early with walks and missed assignments. As high as that Olmsted Falls win was, it was deflation and went back down to earth.”
THE SCORE (APRIL 3)
Avon Lake 15, Elyria 5
