Saints' softball team wins, but loses key player against Warriors

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on April 10, 2016 1:47 AM

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rcoggins@newsargus.com

J.B. Edmundson walked away from the huddle as his players choked back tears.

Eyes misty from the news his team had just received about injured teammate Rebecca Coor, Edmundson shook his head.

"We suddenly lost this game," the first-year Southern Wayne head coach said after a 13-0, mercy-rule win over Eastern Wayne on Friday evening.

Just one play after Coor had broken a scoreless tie with a bases-clearing triple, Edmundson contemplated inserting a courtesy runner for Coor, who was the team's catcher. Coor stayed in the game and on a groundout by teammate Mackenzie Bryan, she sprinted toward the plate.

She collided with Warriors catcher Chloe Smith and her right foot bent backwards under Smith. Coor immediately screamed out in pain. After getting the injury bandaged, she was carried off the field and transported to Wayne Memorial Hospital.

X-rays revealed a crack in the tibula of her right leg.

"She's not replaceable ... that hurts," a speechless Edmundson said.

Coor's extra-base knock came after the Saints had loaded the bases on three consecutive infield bunts. Bryan's groundout to third left the Warriors' defense one out away from avoiding any further damage.

But three errors, miscommunication on a third strike wild pitch and mental miscues extended Southern Wayne's advantage to 9-0.

"We were swinging away early in the game and got a lot of pop flies up," said Edmundson, whose team tallied 10 hits -- including four by Amber Pfennig (two RBI) and three from lead-off batter Kelsey Hayes.

"They handled those with no problem. We said we were going to make them come in and play some small ball, and it got a little spark going. We started hitting the ball and momentum went our way."

The Warriors never recovered.

"When we played at New Bern, they played a lot of small ball," EW head coach Jackie Lewis said. "We've been having a hard time with third-base coverage with a runner on first. My third baseman decided to play the bunt instead staying at third.

"They were very flat out on the field. Once the small ball started and once the errors started, they were completely defeated. It was hard for them to come back."

Saints right-hander Dawn Anderson scattered a four hits and sat down six Warriors on strikeouts during her complete-game performance inside the circle. Anderson worked the corners, changed speed on occasion and consistently hit her spots which led to numerous ground balls and fly outs.

Eastern Wayne (1-7 overall, 0-4 ECC) put runners on base in each inning. Lewis' club stranded five of six in scoring position and the Saints picked off a runner at second base.

Smith led the Warriors with two hits.

"She was a fine pitcher," Lewis said of Anderson. "It's nothing that we've not been used to seeing. These girls can hit. They've just got to make it up in their minds that they can do it."