Photo by Keith Stewart
Amy Orris eyes a pitch last Wednesday evening in Bethany. Orris had two solid at-bats to bring in a couple of the Timberwolves’ runs.

Solid defensive outing goes the duration

March 25, 2015

by Keith Stewart
keith@newsprogress.com

Okaw Valley’s bats were hot to start, but their gloves were warm all evening long last Wednesday when the Lady Timberwolves opened the season at home with a 7-3 win over Paris.
The strong supporting cast was behind pitcher Amanda McClain for all seven innings, committing just one error that helped lead to one of the Tigers three runs. As for McClain, going the distance included two earned runs, six hits, five strikeouts, and four walks. Perhaps her most impressive stat was the 135 pitches she threw, all of which from the first to the last, made the glove of catcher Natalie Jeffers shed dust.
“I think she’s an experienced pitcher who will definitely battle, battle, battle,” said OV head coach Dave Benning. “What I saw late in the game is that she started to rely too much on her arm, kind of getting out of rhythm and losing her stride, but she definitely pitched well today considering not getting a whole lot of reps in preseason being a two-sport athlete. I was very pleased with her effort. We certainly don’t want Amanda throwing much more over a 100 pitches, and the same would go for Maddie Perrine or even Grace Harlin,” noted Benning. “We need to be more efficient. Not work deep into the counts.”
OV got the scoring started in their half of the first after McClain led off with a single to shallow center field. McClain would steal second  and then be brought home on Amy Orris’ double to the left field wall.     Login or Subscribe to read the rest of this story.