Patton helps Lancers get the best of Maroons

Same two teams, same drama, same result.

And, once again, a sophomore was the hero.

Kendall Patton delivered a two-out, two-strike, two-run double in the top of the seventh inning to give the Belleville East softball Lancers a 6-5 win over Belleville West Tuesday.

“I was thinking ‘hit the ball,’ and nothing else,” said the sophomore first baseman. “That is all that was going through my mind.”

The last time the two teams met was in the regional finals, when then-sophomore third baseman Jessica Belzer came through for East with a walk-off hit a half inning after the Maroons had seized a tie with their own heroics.

Monday, West had battled back from a 4-0 deficit and took its first lead in the bottom of the sixth on a hit by junior designated player Kiri Evans that scored Daisha Price.

The Lancers then loaded the bases with nobody out with a double by Belzer, a walk to Kristina Bettis and a single by Ally Blomberg. But West starting pitcher Izzy Holtrop — who pitched her way out of trouble in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings — coaxed an infield fly by Brooke Laidley and got Amanda Dermody to hit into a forceout at the plate.

Patton, who earned the starting job at first base in the last week of practice, fell behind Holtrop one ball and two strikes before hitting a soft line drive into left field to score Bettis and Blomberg with the winning runs.

“It was not a pretty game at all, but I have to be happy with the way the girls hung in there and gutted it out,” said East coach Natalie Peters. “A lot of girls came through. Kendall came in with that big hit. Ally (Blomberg) was a late addition to the lineup had a huge RBI hit in the first inning.

“It wasn’t perfect, but we had some good moments and a lot of contributions.”

Key Moments

East took a big lead in the top of the first inning. Holtrop hit one batter and walked another with the bases loaded before Blomberg singled home Belzer. An error allowed Kristina Bettis to score and put the Lancers on top 4-0.

The Maroons cut the lead in half on RBI hits by junior Kayla Oglesby and catcher Aleigha Cory. They tied it in the third on back-to-back doubles by Megan Glaeser and Olivia Young and an RBI ground-out by Morgan Hinkle.

The Lancers threatened to regain the lead by putting runners on second and third with one out in the fourth, but Holtrop escaped when Belzer lined out sharply to center and Glaeser doubled up the runner on second.

“Izzy deserved better today,” said West coach Casey Garrett. “She had a few control issues to start, but the defense let her down a couple of times. There were six runs scored, but one of them might have been earned.”

Pitchers

Holtrop allowed nine Lancer hits while striking out three and walking six and hitting two.

Tori Londsdale started for East and allowed four runs on four hits in two and a third innings. Bettis finished the game giving up one run on three hits to earn the win.

What’s Next

Belleville West (2-5) is at home Wednesday against Gibault. East (7-2) will host Alton on Thursday.

Dahm out

Senior left fielder Becca Dahm was a late scratch from the lineup after injuring her knee during pre-game warmups. Peters said an MRI will be performed on the knee Thursday to determine the extent of any damage.

This story was originally published March 29, 2016 at 8:55 PM with the headline "Patton helps Lancers get the best of Maroons."