Lake Forest’s catcher Catera Kennedy (13) misses a throw to home base allowing Caravel to score in the 1st inning.
Caravel’s Amanda Stull (28) makes contact with the ball in their win over Lake Forest.
Lake Forest’s Kayla Thompson (18) tags out Caravel’s Amanda Ladzinski (31) at first base in the 1st inning.
Lake Forest’s Grace Aguilar (5) tags out Caravel’s Samantha Esper (1) at second base in the 3rd inning.
Lake Forest’s Grace Aguilar (5) catches a ground ball in the 3rd inning in their home game against Caravel.
Lake Forest’s Brittany Baker (3) with a throw to first base in their home game against Caravel.
Lake Forest’s Brooke Glanden (7) catches a fly ball in the 2nd inning in their home game against Caravel.
Caravel’s Elizabeth Smith (19) with a throw to first base in their win over Lake Forest.
Lake Forest’s Kayla Thompson (18) win a throw to first base in their home game against Caravel.
Lake Forest’s Faith Garey (2) keeps her eyes on the ball while at bat in their home game against Caravel.
Caravel’s pitcher Holly Brooks (6) sends a pitch in their win over Lake Forest.
Caravel’s Samantha Esper (1) with a throw to first base in their win over Lake Forest.
Lake Forest’s Grace Aguilar (5) catches a ground ball in the 3rd inning in their home game against Caravel.
Caravel’s Emily Proffitt (14) mishandles a ground ball in their away game against Lake Forest.
Caravel’s Elizabeth Smith (19) catches a ground ball in the 3rd inning in their win over Lake Forest.
Caravel’s Samantha Esper (1) with a leaping catch in their win over Lake Forest.
Lake Forest’s pitcher Kaitlyn Stahre (4) grabs a ground ball in their home game against Caravel.
Caravel’s Emily Proffitt (14) with a throw to first base in their win over Lake Forest.
Lake Forest’s Brittany Baker (3) makes a out at second base in their home game against Caravel.
Lake Forest’s Grace Aguilar (5) makes contact with the ball in their home game against Caravel.
Lake Forest’s pitcher Kaitlyn Stahre (4) grabs a ground ball in their home game against Caravel.
Caravel’s Samantha Esper (1) mishandles a infield hit in their win over Lake Forest.
Caravel’s Samantha Esper (1) misses a ground ball in their win over Lake Forest.
Lake Forest’s pitcher Kaitlyn Stahre (4) runs after the ball after the ball bounced off her glove in their home game against Caravel.
Caravel’s Emily Proffitt (14) missing a infield catch in their win over Lake Forest.
Caravel’s Elizabeth Smith (19) with a infield play in their win over Lake Forest.
Caravel’s Elizabeth Smith (19) makes the final out in their win over Lake Forest.
Caravel’s Elizabeth Smith (19) misses a ground ball allowing a run to be scored by Lake Forest.
FELTON– Taking a one-hour bus ride to face the No. 2 in the state is a pretty big deal.
The Caravel softball team made it seem like no big deal on Saturday. Of course, it helps when you’re the No. 1 team in the state.
The top-ranked Buccaneers blitzed out to a 10-run lead through three innings, then held off a late comeback by the Spartans for a 10-6 victory.
“We knew they were going to be a tough team. They would never give up,” Caravel pitcher Holly Brooks said. “So we pounded on them the first couple of innings. I’m really proud of my team for that. We really got on top of them.”
The Buccaneers rapped out six hits and took full advantage of four Lake Forest errors and six walks in those decisive first three innings.
“We knew Caravel was going to be hard. It was going to be one of our most difficult teams this year,” Spartans coach Ashlie Tatman said. “We made a lot of bad mental and defensive mistakes in the beginning that literally cost us the game.”
Samantha Esper led off the game with a walk, then circled the bases on two errors for the first run. Another walk set the table, and Grace Walker delivered an RBI single. Then Emily Proffitt ripped a two-run double down the third-base line for a 4-0 lead.
“We knew this was going to be one of our better games, so we had to jump on them,” said Esper, who went 2 for 4 with an RBI and scored two runs. “I think we were all doing our best to cheer on everyone, and we tried to start it off the best we could.”
Esper went all the way to third on an error with one out in the second, and Alexa Proffitt followed with an RBI groundout to make it 5-0. Then Caravel (4-1) really got it rolling in the third.
Emily Holmes sandwiched a single between two walks to load the bases. Then Amanda Ladzinski and Amanda Stull walked to force in two runs, Esper drove in a run with a single, Alexa Proffitt brought one home on a fielder’s choice and Brooks cracked a single up the middle for a 10-0 cushion.
“I’ve been working really hard on hitting the ball where it’s pitched,” said Brooks, who finished 3 for 3 with singles to left, center and right. “I guess I did that today. I really try to stay patient in the batter’s box and try to get my pitch.”
The Spartans (6-2) were one out away from seeing the game end due to the 10-run rule in the fifth. But Brooke Glanden doubled and Kerrigan Simpson plated her with a single to keep it going.
Lake Forest got another run in the sixth on Grace Aguilar’s RBI groundout, then showed a lot of fight with four hits and four runs in the seventh.
“I’m proud of the way they picked it up in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings,” Tatman said. “They came out like they should have in the first inning. So I’m proud that they stayed in it.”
Faith Garey had an RBI single, Catera Kennedy drove in two with a single and Aguilar added an RBI single before the Buccaneers finally got the last out on a soft liner to third.
“We stayed in the game,” Brooks said. “Things happened and they scored some, but I’m proud of us for staying up and finishing the game.”
Contact Brad Myers at bmyers@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter: @BradMyersTNJ
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