Happy Birthday! Casler leads HF-L past Arcadia

By PAUL GOTHAM

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Ellie Casler planned to celebrate her birthday Friday night with an ice cream cake. Vanilla. “With the little crumbles in it.”

The senior’s performance on the diamond earlier in the evening made the dessert all the sweeter.

Casler finished a triple shy of the cycle and reached base all four times she came to the plate as Honeoye Falls-Lima defeated host Greece Arcadia, 5-0 in Section V Softball action.

From her first at-bat when she singled to right to the last when she homered to right center, Casler was on the ball all day.

“It looked like a big beach ball, you know,” she said. “I was just trying to see it in and then crush it out.”

She put bookends on the HF-L scoring as she doubled and came home with the first tally in a three-run fourth. Her solo shot in the top of the seventh closed out the day’s scoring.

“Where ever the pitch was thrown, I was trying to take it there. Not trying to do too much.”

The home run was the first such of her high school career that traveled over the fence.

“I thought it had a chance. I wasn’t quite sure, honestly. I just kept running hard. I thought it was over, but I didn’t want to be caught out at second if it wasn’t. Took no chances there.”

By the time she rounded second, the signal was given to touch ’em all. She broke stride a little to enjoy the moment with a smile before being mobbed by her teammates at home plate.

“I’ve never practiced a home run trot before. I watch a lot of baseball, so I’ve seen it.”

Casler’s effort at the plate supported the work of Maia Gathercole and Emma Dunman in the circle. The duo combined on a two-hitter.

Ellie Casler gets aboard with a one-out double in the fourth. pic.twitter.com/otsUhEr2qQ

— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) April 14, 2023

“Maia got us off to a good start, and Emma really closed it out for us,” HF-L head coach Bailey Smith said.

Gathercole started and struck out two over four innings to pick up the win. The junior right-hander surrendered a leadoff single in the second and then retired the last nine batters she faced.

Dunman gave up a walk to the first batter she faced and then allowed a single. With runners on second and third and no outs, the sophomore fanned the next three batters to end the threat. She went on to strike out the first seven batters she faced.

Emma Dunman has set down six straight on strikes. Heading to the seventh: HF-L 4 Arcadia 0 pic.twitter.com/pbB2wjgOEY

— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) April 14, 2023

HF-L’s defense played errorless ball. This after a 17-day layoff between games.

“Defense was great. We had a couple really good practices this week. For whatever reason, when it’s 80 (degrees) and sunny, these girls can make some unbelievable catches. We saw it yesterday and the day before in practice.”

Casler reached on a one-out double and moved to third on a wild pitch to start a three-run third. Jenna Fowler walked and stole second. The pair scored on separate wild pitches. Gia Bills capped the scoring with an RBI double.

Dunman reached on a two-out hit by pitch in the sixth. Meg Gruschow put runners on the corners with a single, and Kate Dailor singled to left field to make it a 4-0 game.

HF-L needed eight hits in a game in which they were never set down in order in an individual frame.

“They kinda come in clusters which is good,” Smith said of her squad’s hitting. “This team, they feed off each other. They have good chemistry on and off the field. Once they get the mojo going, they go with it. You can see it in their play.”

Carly Cegielski leaves runners on second and third with her second K of the frame. Mid 5: HF-L 3 Arcadia 0 pic.twitter.com/xZke503c3L

— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) April 14, 2023

Arcadia’s Carly Cegielski doubled and walked twice. The junior also struck out three over 3.2 innings of relief. Cayla Raye had the other hit for the Titans.