Quakers come up one short in opener
LISBON — After losing power-hitting outfielder Autumn Oehlstrom for all but a few tournament games due to a torn ACL last season, the Lisbon softball team entered 2017 excited about the prospect of penciling her into the lineup from day one.
In Monday’s season opener, the sophomore provided a glimpse at the difference she can make, as Oehlstrom smacked a go-ahead solo home run in the fifth inning to go with a pair of RBI triples as the Blue Devils slipped past Salem 5-4.
“She came in at the last minute and obviously helped us last season, and we were all wondering what she’d be able to do over a full season,” Lisbon coach Dave Crismon said. “I think she’ll just continue to build on this.”
The Quakers had just rallied from a 4-1 deficit to tie the game when Oehlstrom led off the bottom of the fifth against Salem pitcher Clara Janofa with one thought on her mind.
“She (Janofa) had been throwing me changeups all night and I kept getting so mad,” Oehlstrom said. “Before the at-bat I said if she throws me another one I’m going to be so mad that I hit it over the fence,”
Oehlstrom did just that, lining Janofa’s offering over the fence in right-center field to put Lisbon up 5-4.
Oehlstrom gave the Quakers fits all night. In the first inning, she gave the Blue Devils a 1-0 lead by lining a triple into right-center field. She then capped off a three-run third inning for Lisbon by driving in Devyn Flory on another triple down the right field line.
“Playing basketball really helped me get ready for this season,” Oehlstrom said. “And I’ve also been weightlifting really hard, which has been really helpful.”
After watching Oehlstrom burn his team in her first two at-bats, Salem coach Mike Thorpe thought about walking her in the fifth but decided to roll the dice.
“Nobody was on, so we took out chances and she made us pay for it,” Thorpe said. “At times it seems like there is no way to pitch her. “Her and (West Branch catcher) Bailey Byers are the two hitters that we’ll face this year where it almost doesn’t matter what you throw them.”
Oehlstrom was helped out by Flory, who scored Lisbon’s first run after reaching on a double and rolled an RBI single up the middle in the third. Sophomore shortstop Kenedy Vrable led off the third with a double and came home when Karlee Pezzano reached on a throwing error.
“We’ve got a very good top of the order,” Crismon said. “We’ve got three or four kids that you can count on to produce or at least give you a solid at-bat and the others are learning. Overall, I was pretty pleased with us offensively tonight, Janofa’s a good pitcher.”
The Quakers fought back into the game on an RBI single by Emma Minamyer in the fourth and a two-run single by Janofa with nobody out in the fifth. Bailee Thorn helped fuel Salem from the leadoff spot with a double, single and run scored. Katie Moore collected a double and two runs scored, while Minamyer went 2-for-3 with a double and single.
“I love this group, they’re fired up to play and I think their confidence is growing,” Thorpe said. “We have a lot of athletes and once they learn how to win, we’re going to start winning these one run games.”
Janofa was sacrificed to second following her game-tying single, but Lisbon pitcher Sam Tinsley got out of trouble with a popup and groundout to set the stage for Oehlstrom’s homer.
Tinsley got out of another jam in the sixth. After Minamyer led off the inning with a double and was sacrificed to third, Tinsley got Jessica Slocum to pop out before snaring a hard liner by Thorn to end the inning. She got through the heart of the Salem order 1-2-3 in the seventh to end the game.
“Sam was having some control issues early, but she does a good job keeping herself in the game when she doesn’t have her best stuff,” Crismon said. “When she had to get big outs, she threw the pitches we needed.”
Game notes
• Lisbon is missing its top power hitter from last seasons district championship team, as third baseman Kimmi Wiggers will miss at least the next three weeks with a dislocated knee, according to Crismon.
• Wiggers’ injury has forced Pezzano to move from her normal center field position to third base, with Oehlstrom sliding from left field to center.
“Karlee’s doing a great job, she was willing to do whatever will help the team. That’s what a senior leader does,” Crismon said. “Until we get Kimmi back, we’ll just keep practicing hard trying to make it work.”
• The Blue Devils are at Ursuline Wednesday, while Salem dives into Northeastern Buckeye Conference play at home against Louisville today.
S: 0-1-0-1-2-0-0–4-8-3
L: 1-0-3-0-1-0-x–5-9-3
S–Clara Janofa, lp, (6IP, 4K, 1BB) and Katie Moore.
L–Sam Tinsley, wp, (7IP, 4K, 0BB) and Devyn Flory.