UTICA – One of the few players on the field who played in 2019, Utica’s Ryleigh Lees made an impact at the plate and in the circle on Wednesday, March 31.
Lees danced in and out of trouble and tossed a complete game in an 8-6 win over East Knox in non-league play on a cold, overcast day at South End Park.
A little bit of cold didn’t stop either team from swinging some hot bats.
“I think (the weather impacted) some of the hard hits, hurting our hands,” Utica coach Staci Meyers said. “But for the most part, they came to play and they were ready to make up from (Tuesday’s 9-8 loss to River View).”
“We learned a lot (today),” East Knox coach Homer Simmons said. “We’ve got quite a few (sophomores) that didn’t get a season last year. So they’re still playing like freshmen in my opinion. We just gotta work hard and get better.”
Both Utica and East Knox had something in common. Both are young teams with just two returning letter winners from the 2019 season after the cancellation of the 2020 campaign because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Some of these girls haven’t played varsity at all, let alone last year,” Meyers said. “I actually look to (Lees) for a lot. I want her to set the tone for everybody else in that leadership aspect.”
Lees, who will play at Mount Vernon Nazarene University in college, allowed six runs (three earned) on seven hits and two walks and struck out eight batters in a complete-game win in the circle for Utica (2-2).
“(The cold) didn’t affect me at all,” Lees said. “I just looked at it as another day on the softball field. You gotta work hard to get what you want in the end.”
She helped her own cause with a two-run double in the fourth inning that gave Utica a 6-2 lead at the time.
“I’ve been in a hitting slump and this was my second game back,” Lees said. “I knew I had to do something big for the team. So I stepped up and did it.”
Kiera Williams had three hits and scored twice, and Cass Fouty added two RBIs for Utica, which built an 8-2 lead after five innings.
Cami Bailey, one of two returning letter winners from East Knox’s 2019 squad, had three hits, scored three times and drove in a run. She hit a solo home run to lead off the sixth inning, helping the Bulldogs’ comeback bid.
But Bailey was saddled with the loss after allowing six runs (five earned) on nine hits and three walks with three strikeouts.
Kayla Finch had three hits, including a triple and a double, and scored three runs to pace East Knox (0-2), which scored four runs over the final two innings and had the tying run at the plate in the seventh.
Despite the strong finish, Simmons couldn’t help but be disappointed after the game.
“We didn’t come with the bats today,” he said. “We couldn’t lay off of that high pitch. Normally, we’re much more disciplined at the plate.”
River View 9, Utica 8
Williams hit an RBI double and Kayleigh Crowe drove in a second run on a ground out, but host Utica’s rally fell short in a 9-8 loss to River View in non-league play on Tuesday, March 30.
Payton Cabe hit an RBI double and Brie Hagans followed with a two-run single to give the Black Bears (1-1) a 7-4 lead in the top of the sixth, and they never trailed again.
Jaylinn Williamson and Melanie Griffin had two hits and two RBIs each for River View. Griffin also scored twice.
Fouty had three hits, a run and an RBI to pace Utica.
