A big second chance allowed the Trojans to pounce on Frontenac 12-1 in the second game of a Crawford-Neosho-Cherokee League doubleheader at Red Wutke Park on Friday night.
The Trojans squeezed out a 4-2 win over the Raiders in the first game
In the first inning of the second game, Trojan shortstop Alysha Poteat was staring at two strikes and just fouled a pitch straight into the air.
Frontenac’s Hannah Ketterman, Emily Barto and Melissa Seward all moved into foul territory to make a play but failed to come up with the catch.
Poteat took the next pitch over the left field fence for a two-run home run and that started a six-run inning for the Trojans.
“To be honest with you, if we did not get those six runs in that inning that might have been fine because our girls were hitting and making the right adjustments at the plate,” said Girard head coach Jerry O’Rand. “It was just a matter of time before we started pounding the ball.”
Then again, the pitch that Poteat saw was something that she was waiting for the entire series and Frontenac head coach Cassie Buche knew it.
“My biggest thing is that she had two strikes on her and she should not have had a ball like that thrown to her,” Buche said. “Emily (Barto) had not had a lot of innings under her belt and she came out and did what she could do but I am more disappointed in our girls and their lack of anything.”
If not the two-run home run, the five errors that the Raiders committed — three from outfielder Molly McFarland — in the first inning may have also contributed to the outpouring of offense by Girard.
“It was a lack of focus and that was all there was to it,” Buche said. “We have had mental issues this entire season and you cannot make those types of errors.
“We probably have not had seven errors all season,” Buche said. “I would almost bet my whole life savings on that.”
Girard had their own issues with errors.
In the second inning, Girard’s outfield committed two errors that almost led to a Raider score. But Frontenac’s Emily Barto forgot to step on third on what would have been an RBI and was called for the third out of the inning, which voided the run.
“Those missed plays didn’t really hurt us but we, meaning me and our outfielders, had a long talk about it and I think they understand the importance of not making those again,” O’Rand said.
In addition to Poteat’s home run in the first game, Girard pitcher Starr McLead helped her own cause with a three-run shot over the left field fence in the fourth inning to give the Trojans their 12-1 lead.
In game one, Girard had some offensive struggles, not scoring until the second inning when McLeod hit a two-run single then Nikki Cuthbertson hit another two-run single in the second.
Girard managed just eight hits and four runs in the game and did not score past the second inning.
“Give credit to Frontenac and their pitching,” O’Rand said. “We faced Baxter our last game and faced a very hard thrower and we practice every day according to regionals and there are a lot of tough pitchers and you bring in an off-speed pitcher and it throws the girls off.”
The Raiders did score in the fifth on an RBI double by Barto to plate Seward then Darci McLaren hit a sacrifice to score McFarland in the sixth but it was not enough.
“In the first game, Girard did what they needed to do to beat us,” Buche said. “In the second game, we just laid down ... 100 percent and that is what I told them ... I have never been more disappointed in this team more than I am right now.”
Frontenac has wrapped up their regular season and will wait until next week to find out their Class 3A regional seeding whereas the Trojans, already crowned CNC League champs, completed the season undefeated and will go into their Class 4A regional as the No. 1 seed. They will host Columbus in a makeup doubleheader next Friday prior to the start of the regional tournament.

High school softball
at Red Wutke Park
Girard
Game one
Girard 4, Frontenac 2
Frontenac    000 011 0 — 2 6 1
Girard        022 000 x — 4 8 0
Starr McLeod and Lisa Curran. Jena Standlee, Emily Barto (4) and Hannah Ketterman. WP — McLeod. LP — Standlee. 2B — Emily Barto, Dana Musser, Alysha Poteat, Ariel Vinze, Lisa Curran.
Game two
Girard 12, Frontenac 1
Frontenac    000 10 —  1   4  7
Girard        603 3x — 12 10 3
Starr McLeod and Lisa Curran. Emily Barto, Jena Standlee (3) and Hannah Ketterman. WP — McLeod. LP — Barto. HR — Alysha Poteat, Starr McLeod.