Photo by RR Best
Sullivan’s Liz Inman prepares to throw her pitch Saturday. Inman finished what fellow pitcher Heidi Clements started, going two innings to close out Decatur MacArthur.

Mercy given after five innings

by Kirk Whitaker
Arthur/Sullivan Reporter

Some things just don’t require many words to explain.

After Taylor Gottfriedt went 2-3 with a single, double and 2 RBI, along with scoring a run herself in her return from a knee injury, Redskins head coach Ben Richter simply said, “It’s great to have her back.”

After a nine pitch half inning in the field, Elissa Stewart and Christina Brown both worked walks—Stewart scored on a wild pitch—and Liz Inman was hit by a pitch, setting up Gottfriedt with runners on second and third. Gottfriedt sent a liner past third base, bringing in Brown for what would be the last run of the inning.

If nobody else would have scored, it would have been just fine for the Redskins because Heidi Clements was on as always. The sophomore ace struck out two, walked zero, and allowed only one hit in three innings of work Saturday morning. Senior Liz Inman came in for the final two innings and was just as good, striking out four, walking one, allowing one hit, and working out of a bases loaded one out situation in the top of the fifth.     Login or Subscribe to read the rest of this story.

“Heidi throws strikes, and when you have a pitcher who throws strikes, the other team will hit—they didn’t put many balls into play today—but when they did, we were ready and made some plays and kept the ball in front of us,” said Richter. “She also does a good job of fielding her position as well. Liz hasn’t pitched in a couple days, but she came in and shut the door for us and threw strikes as well and worked her way out of that little trouble spot to get us the win.”

Despite the work down the stretch, it was the second inning that really put the game away for Sullivan.

Maggie Plank singled to center followed by a bunt single from Abby Elzy, Stewart’s second walk, and a sac bunt from Brown. Inman then reached on error by the Generals’ third baseman. Plank and Elzy scored on back-to-back wild pitches. Stewart went on to score on another.

Gottfriedt didn’t wait to let a ball get to the backstop and drove the first ball she saw to the left centerfield wall, bringing in Inman, and putting herself in scoring position on second base.

“We did a good job of being patient in at-bats today, “Richter said. “Taylor stood out hits wise, but Elissa Stewart got on base all three times she came up and had a two RBI double of her own. We also had people who bunted perfectly as well where we needed it, and that was nice to see.”

Three more runs scored in the third, and Clements batted in Makenzie Rupert with a single to left field on the first pitch she saw that went to virtually the same spot Rupert’s hit went just a pitch before—in the first pitch of her at-bat—and Sullivan had the means of their 11-0 win, their second of the season.

Sullivan’s game against Neoga Monday was rained out but are scheduled to host Monticello Wednesday, Mattoon Friday, and then Windsor Saturday at 1 p.m.

Stats:

Pitching: H. Clements: 3 IP, 2 K, 1 Hit; L. Inman: 2 IP, 4 K, 1H

Hitting: E. Stewart: 1-3, 2B, 2 BB, 2 RBI, SB, 3 RS; C. Brown: 0-2, BB, SB, RS; L. Inman: 1-3, 1B, HBP, 1 RBI; T. Gottfriedt: 2-3, 1B, 2B, 2 RBI, RS; M. Rupert: 1-3, 1B; H. Clements: 1-3, 1B; B. Pratt: 0-3, E5, RS; M. Plank: 2-3, 2 1B, 1 RBI; A. Elzy: 1-3, 1B, SB, RS; K. Boyer: 0-1