Carey uses defense, big innings to take down Van Buren

LIMA -- Carey led the whole way in Monday's Division VI district semifinal softball game against Van Buren at Lima Bath, putting up four runs in the third and five in the seventh to pick up a 15-6 win.But things might have been different had the Black Knights pushed across the first run.They nearly did that in the bottom of the first inning.But Carey centerfielder Bayah Harsanje and catcher Ashley Hohman combined to make sure it didn't happen.In the bottom of the first with the game scoreless, Van Buren leadoff hitter Bailey Lance drew a walk. She was on third with one out and Audrey Riegle at the plate.Riegle lofted a Tylinn Stoll pitch to medium-deep center. Harsanje made the catch; Lance tagged and headed home.Harsanje made a perfect throw to Hohman, who laid the tag on Lance.Out."It was a great throw, right on," Carey coach Teresa Gillig said. "Can't get any better than the throw from Bayah."That gave us great momentum, got the girls excited, knowing that we could make that play from the outfield."Carey took that momentum and never looked back.Autumn Bouillon doubled twice and scored three times. McKenna Stoner tripled, singled twice, scored twice and had three RBIs. Hohman tripled in a pair of runs.And Stoll added two doubles and plated three runs.Carey piled up 14 hits in the win, and took advantage of five Van Buren errors.Stoll went all seven innings, allowing six runs on nine hits while striking out six and walking six. But four of those runs came in the bottom of the seventh, when the Blue Devils started the inning up 15-2.Van Buren's best chance for a big inning came in the top of the third, when it used three walks to load the bases with two outs.But Stoll escaped the threat by striking out Van Buren's Riegle. "She handled the pressure really well tonight, especially that bases loaded inning early on," Gillig said of Stoll. "She has been more consistent hitting her spots and that really helps with her confidence level on the mound. She's just been improving every game that we play."The Blue Devils improved to 7-16.Riegle finished the game with three singles and drove in three runs. Morgan Walters also had two hits and an RBI.But Van Buren wasn't able to get a big inning until the seventh."I think it was mostly patience, right?," said Van Buren coach Stacy Sharp. "We needed to be patient hitters, and we weren't being patient hitters until that last inning." The Black Knights concluded their season at 13-9.Megan Stall took the loss in the circle for the Black Knights. She went five innings and allowed nine runs on 11 hits, but only four were earned. Stall struck out five and didn't walk a batter. Jordan Patton worked the final two innings for Van Buren, allowing six runs -- three earned -- on three hits.Carey returns to Bath Thursday for the district final against Ada at 5 p.m. The Bulldogs won Monday's first game, 10-0, over Columbus Grove."We are peaking at the right time, really seeming to play well together, working well together," Gillig said. "Softball is one of those games where anything can happen any given night."