By PAUL GOTHAM
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Coming off a loss on the road earlier in the week, Our Lady of Mercy took the field Thursday against an unfamiliar opponent in Wayland-Cohocton, a Class B2 semifinalist a year ago.
Annika Van Damme and Bella Mitrano highlighted a four-run fifth inning, and ninth-grader Leah Sperry made sure the offensive effort was enough as the Monarchs came away with a 7-2 victory.
“Yesterday, we had a team meeting and talked about how we all need to come together, get our energy up and focus as a team, focus on one play at a time,” Sperry said. “We did that.”
Leading 3-2, OLM sent nine to the plate in the fifth.
Sperry led the frame with a double to left center. Ava Verdi put runners on the corners when she beat out a bunt, and Kate Abbamonte reached on an error to load the bases.
“We needed to piece together the hits today, and we did that,” Sperry said. “That was most important. One hit at a time and get the runs in. That was really important.”
Natalie Casale brought in the first run of the inning with an RBI groundout.
Van Damme followed with a double to center that one-hopped the fence. Two scored on the play.
Annika Van Damme plates two with a double to center. Mercy extends the lead to 6-2. @SecVSoftball pic.twitter.com/SEdQpne0Xy
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) April 25, 2024
Leah Sperry finishes it off. Ninth-grade right-hander retires the last 10 in order. Mercy 7 Wayland-Cohocton 2 pic.twitter.com/XuOIcOICpp
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) April 25, 2024
“She’s quiet and just does her job,” Mercy head coach Rick Sylvester said of Van Damme. “She’s got a great attitude.”
One out later, Mitrano brought home Van Damme with a double to right field.
Sperry, who had allowed two runs in the fourth inning, retired the last 10 batters she faced.
“We do a good job of switching up pitches,” Sylvester said of approach in the circle. “We don’t show all her pitches the first couple times through the order. Then the third time around, we mix in another pitch or two. She has four or five different pitches. You save a couple because against good teams they all can catch up the third time through the order.”
In Tuesday’s loss (4-2) at Letchworth, Mercy managed just one hit.
“Letchworth took it to us,” Sylvester said. “Abigale DeRock pitched a good game against us, and we couldn’t get the bats going. Coming in here today, I didn’t know what to expect. We got some hits, and it was good.”
With Thursday’s win, Mercy improved to 4-2 on the season. The victory came against a Wayland-Cohocton team (6-2) that had won five straight. The matchup was the first between the two in Sylvester’s eight years at the helm of the Mercy program – a Class A squad.
“For me, I’m always trying to play up, so when a team that’s lower asks to play, we play them,” Sylvester said of the game between teams from differing school sizes. “If we get an opening, we’ll play them. We didn’t know anything about them.”
Sperry finished 2-for-3 with two RBI. Lillian Seifert singled, walked and scored a run in the win. Riley Stoutenburg singled and crossed home twice.
Wayland-Cohocton’s Claire Donlon wnet 2-for-3 with a run scored. Sasha Abramowski walked and came home. Emily Moran also had a hit.
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