Lawrence softball
By: Jim Green
The Lawrence High School softball team was no-hit twice last season by Hamilton’s Melissa Hodge, and that was when the Cardinals had such top-notch seniors as Erin Gomez and Emily Panasowich. Considering those two were lost to graduation along with the bulk of last year’s lineup it would have been surprising if the Cardinals were able to get anything done Monday in their first meeting this year with Hodge.
And while the Cardinals, as might have been expected, were shut out again by the overpowering Hodge, they did manage to twice do what they failed to do in either meeting last year pick up a base hit. Freshman Amanda Sawasky and junior Danny Brooks each singled off Hodge in a 10-0, five-inning loss at Hamilton.
"Our girls are getting better," Lawrence coach Sue Bunn said. "We got two hits. I just wish we could have manufactured a run out of them."
Hodge finished with 12 strikeouts in five innings as Hamilton improved to 3-0 on the season.
"She’s amazing," Bunn said. "She’s probably one of the best pitchers I’ve ever seen. When you face someone like Hodge in the second game of the season, it’s difficult."
The Cardinals, who opened the season with an 11-1 loss at Princeton on Friday, dropped to 0-2. The Hamilton game originally was scheduled to be played at Lawrence High, but the varsity softball field was deemed unplayable because of Sunday’s rainfall, and the game was moved to Hamilton. Despite the move, it still counted as a home game for Lawrence.
Junior Katelyn Fecak got the start and pitched all five innings, striking out one.
"Katelyn Fecak pitched a nice game," Bunn said. "She went the distance, which is good. But Hodge had 12 strikeouts. She’s wonderful a great pitcher. That’s the tale of the game."
Bunn said her squad many members of which had never faced Hodge before knew beating Hodge would have been a tall task.
"On the bus ride home, we discussed the game, and they realized what they were up against," Bunn said. "We had four freshmen in the lineup. They experienced one of the best."
Against Princeton, the Cardinals scored first with a run in the top of the first inning. But the Little Tigers struck back with four in the bottom of the frame and never looked back, going on to win 11-1 in six innings.
The Cardinals, who were scheduled to face Montgomery on Wednesday, will visit Trenton at 4 p.m. Thursday. The Tornadoes are 0-2 on the season, having lost by a combined 23-0 score.
"I would love to get a win," Bunn said. "It would be my first win as a varsity head coach.
"That would be nice. I just want the girls to have a chance to be successful. It’s a great group."
Despite the early struggles, the Cardinals have managed to remain upbeat. Bunn says a lot of credit for that goes to sophomore shortstop Nikki Caplinger, one of the Cardinals’ few returning players.
"Nikki Caplinger is trying to hold them together," Bunn said. "She’s only a sophomore, but she’s a veteran.
"As a player, she has a lot of experience.
"She’s trying to encourage the girls to get better. We’ll be OK."

