Edinburgh players (from left) Kenna Streeval, MacKenzie Bieker, Alix Streeval and Lillie Goff celebrate a Bieker strikeout against Columbus East on Tuesday.
Paige Grider | For the Daily Journal
A mix of the old and new helped get the softball season started on the right foot for Columbus East on Tuesday.
The Olympians overcame an early three-run deficit and a 4-4 tie after two and a half innings by scoring 13 times in their final two trips to the plate in a 17-6, five-inning home victory against Edinburgh.
“I think we did a good job the second time through the lineup adjusting to their pitcher,” East senior shortstop Kenzie Foster said. “The first time we were a little rough, but after that, I thought we did a good job of adjusting and putting the ball where nobody was.”
Foster, a Syracuse commit, did her damage from the top of the lineup. She went 2 for 3 with a two-run inside-the-park home run in the second. Bowling Green commit Kaylee Cole went 2 for 4 with a triple from the No. 2 spot, and cleanup hitter Addy Ross went 2 for 3 with a double and two RBIs.
If the play of three newcomers is any indication of things to come, the Olympians might be in line for a stellar season. Junior Greensburg transfer Hermione Robinson overcame allowing three runs in the first to limit the Lancers (1-2) to one run on two hits over the next three innings and also homered at the plate. Senior catcher Maryn Mayes, a transfer from Columbus North, went 2 for 3 with a double and four RBIs, and freshman Mackenzie Hampton went 2 for 3.
“I’m very proud of how we played for the first game,” Foster said. “We had a lot of new girls, and I thought we played well together. Now that the first-game jitters are out of the way, I’m really excited to see how the rest of the season goes.”
Edinburgh greeted Robinson with three runs in the top of the first, capped by a two-run homer to left by freshman Eloise Cox. East scored two off MacKenzie Bieker in the bottom of the first, highlighted by an RBI triple from Cole, then took the lead with two in the second on Foster’s home run.
The Lancers tied it on an RBI groundout by Cox in the third, but then Robinson led off the bottom of the third with a homer and the first five Olympians recorded hits, capped by a two-run double by Mayes, who sat out last season.
Mayes’ hit brought on a pitching change from Bieker to Cox. East ended up scoring six runs in that third and added seven in the fourth to take a 17-4 lead.
“I think we played well in the first part of that game, but once we made the pitching change in there, they had started timing up Mac,” Edinburgh coach Ben Taylor said. “At that point, it’s just hitting experience, and letting them see different things. But we’re pretty happy with what we were able to do today.”
Edinburgh reached Olympians reliever Megan Kennedy for a two-run single by Bieker in the fifth but couldn’t avoid the 10-run rule.
Kenna Streeval went 3 for 3 to record half of the Lancers’ six hits. Bieker and Cox each had three RBIs.
“I think with the number of freshmen we have and an inexperienced outfield, we’re seeing the strides that we need to see,” Taylor said. “Hitting, we had some good contact.”
“Edinburgh is a quality program,” Columbus East coach Rusty Brummett added. “They’re going to do a lot of damage in their conference and the tournament in 1A. Bieker is a great pitcher. They’re going to be good.”