'It's now or never:' Colonel Crawford locked in on the postseason after consecutive losses
NORTH ROBINSON - This wasn't at all how Colonel Crawford wanted to head into the postseason.
Back-to-back losses — 6-0 Monday at Upper Sandusky, 8-5 at home against Mohawk on Tuesday — isn't ideal, but coach Sarah Fraser hopes her Eagles use these games as motivation for Friday's Division III sectional championship against Clear Fork.
"Friday is our focus," Fraser said. "That's what happens this time of year … unfortunately our schedule had Upper and Mohawk at the end during tournament week.
"We'll find out if these last two games will rile them up a bit. I'd like to think so and see what they're made of. I hope they realize aside from Monday (makeup game against Upper Sandusky), if we lose Friday, we're done.
"It's now or never."
After being no-hit by Liv Gier Monday, Colonel Crawford mustered four hits Tuesday against the Warriors but still found a way to score five runs.
"I think a lot of it is mental, most of it," Fraser said. "We need to do a better job of when we make mistakes, getting past that or realizing the other teams are allowed to make good plays. But I'm not concerned, we'll be OK and come out of it — hopefully."
Allison Weithman had a pair of hits along with an RBI and two runs, Hannah Allen had one hit and two runs, Karlee Shull the other hit, Harley Thomas had a run.
Colonel Crawford took the lead early 2-0 when Weithman scored off a throwing error and Allen came home shortly after on a wild pitch. Mohawk pulled one back in the second when Ellie Skeels drove in Anna Russell, then the Warriors exploded for four in the third with Allison Russell, Bailey Sheets, Jaedynn Hamilton and Aley Shock all scoring consecutively.
The Eagles pulled within one in the bottom as Thomas reached base on an error and was brought in by Weithman's belted double; she then scored herself on a wild pitch. Mohawk tacked on three more runs in the fourth with Skeels, Josie Granata, and Allison Russell all rounding the bases for an 8-4 lead. In the sixth Allen opened with a double for Colonel Crawford, moved to third on a wild pitch then came home on another for the final run of the game.
"It's the nature of the beast and we're also making up games that got rained out, that's high school softball season," Fraser said. "Mohawk played really well tonight and we made some miscues here and there that could've made a difference. But this is what happens when we play Mohawk, we usually split."
Sheets struck out nine in the win and sat down the side in order three times. Zizzo fanned six in the loss but maintained composure even after allowing seven runs in two innings. She stranded two runners on base in the fifth, had a 1-2-3 sixth and made quick work in the seventh.
"She has been getting better and better with that throughout the season," Fraser said. "At the beginning of the year — she never gives up — but I think it would've rattled her more than it does now. She digs herself in, goes to work and gets it done. That's the thing she has been doing day in and day out for us."
Colonel Crawford committed five errors on the night, four of which came in the third and fourth.
"We just had to settle in and make plays," Fraser said. "Whether they're easy or hard, we're good enough to make those plays and get it done.
"It's just a mentality thing."
The Eagles get two days of rest to prepare for Clear Fork on Friday, winner advances to the district semifinals at Shelby High School next week.
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This article originally appeared on Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum: Colonel Crawford softball drops pair of games before tournament opener
