RANDY HISNER
WZBD.com
The Bellmont softball team took advantage of the host Kokomo Wildkats’ shoddy defensive play Saturday morning to breeze to a 14-0 mercy-rule victory in five innings.
The game was the Braves’ second in the eight-team Kokomo Invitational Tournament. They had lost their tournament opener Friday night to Delta, 13-8.
Junior hurler Isabelle Buuck struck out seven and walked only one while giving up just three hits to claim her first win of the season.
“She did a good job,” praised Bellmont coach Mindy Buuck. “It was good for her confidence, I think, to get a win under her belt. She can move forward from that.”
Things unraveled early for the Wildkats (0-7) as they gave up four unearned runs in the top of the first. With one out, Kokomo center fielder Ashlynne Hodson misplayed Hayden DeBolt’s routine fly ball, and DeBolt cruised into second. She stole third and then scored on a wild pitch. Izzy Isch flied out to left, and the Wildkats were one out from limiting the damage to one run.
But Taylor Sutter’s fly to center caromed off Hodson’s glove, putting Sutter on second and DeBolt on third. Carissa Mickley grounded to Lucy Goad at short, and when Kokomo first baseman Javaiha Harvard couldn’t handle Goad’s throw, DeBolt and Sutter scored to make it 3-0. The Braves got their fourth run when Isabelle Mickley tripled to left, driving in her sister.
Bellmont (3-5) added two runs in the second on a walk to Chevelle Oetting and DeBolt’s inside-the-park home run to the right center field fence.
Five hits—doubles by Aamaya Brewer and Liz Bobay, singles by DeBolt, Oni Krueckeberg, and Mia Fullenkamp—led to five more runs for the Braves in the fourth inning. Three Wildkat errors, a passed ball, and a wild pitch aided the Braves’ rally.
Isch clubbed a double to left field in the Braves’ three-run fifth to drive in the 13th and 14th runs.
The early lead allowed Coach Buuck to use her bench. “It was really cool to see girls come off the bench who have been a huge asset, just energy-wise, and cheering everybody on,” Buuck said.
Bobay had three hits to lead the Braves’ attack. Kokomo’s Goad, who is hitting well over .500, had all three of the Wildkats’ hits.
The Braves had nine hits and two errors. The Wildkats had six errors and several wild pitches and passed balls. Eight of the Braves’ runs were unearned.
Jordynn Dupay took the loss. She walked two and struck out one in five innings.
Bellmont second baseman Mia Fullenkamp gets a force out on a Kokomo runner.
The Braves were slated to play Illiana Christian in their third game of the tourney Saturday afternoon.
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