DANE FUELLING
WZBD.com
The Heritage Patriots are cruising.
Three wins in three days against three very different teams have seen the Pats win three games with three different strategies.
One thing that has not changed has been the bats. The team scored 40 runs this week across those three games and five of the top six hitters in the lineup carry a season average above .500, led by Abriyah James. The center fielder is hitting .714 after going 2 for 2 as the Patriots pounded North Side Thursday night, 18-0.
After no-hitting Wayne Tuesday with five different pitchers in five innings, coach Amanda Minchski went with ace Danica Fuller against the toughest test of the week – the Columbia City Eagles. That meant that Hadlee Shipp got the call to throw Thursday against the Legends.
Shipp mowed down the Legends, allowing just a two-out double in the first inning to Cadee Ross – the only hit allowed on the night.
And she wasn’t the only one who had herself a night.
Fuller took the night off from hurling and focused on her bat and calmly (almost) hit for the cycle. She led off the bottom of the first with a triple and scored, then tripled and scored again in the second.
To lead off the bottom of the third, Fuller stretched what would have been a third triple and turned it into an inside-the-park homer to put Heritage up 11-0. She doubled later in the same inning for her fourth extra-base hit, leaving her a single short of the cycle.
The Patriots showed sportsmanship against the inexperienced North Side team, ending long rallies in the second and third innings by leaving base early for the automatic out.
Audra Bickel knocked in five runs with two big singes in those rallies and catcher Teaghan O’Shaughnessey had a couple of hits and three RBI.
Ashlyn Maple took the loss for North Side, sticking it out throughout the game and throwing all four innings. She walked nine and struck out one.
Unfortunately for the Patriots, the momentum gained from the first week will have to take a back seat to the East Allen spring break next week, meaning the team will not play again until April 9th, when they host Northrop. That contest can be heard live on WZBD, 92.7 FM.
“It all comes in due time,” said Minchski of the seemingly ill-timed spring break that will pause the Heritage season. “We are going to get some good rest before we play 25 games in six weeks.”
Follow the Patriots all season long on WZBD.com and 92.7 FM.
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