Softball: Bartlett capitalizes on South Elgin miscues

Updated: May 11, 2012 11:10PM

Bartlett took advantage of six South Elgin errors Friday to snag a 6-3 home win in an Upstate Eight Valley game. The triumph moves the Hawks to 25-3 overall and a perfect 18-0 in conference play.

Senior Amanda Montbriand (8-0) also kept her perfect record intact as she went the distance, allowing three runs — one earned — on eight hits with three strikeouts.

She continually worked out of trouble as the Storm (12-18, 9-8) stranded seven runners, twice failing to score with runners at second and third.

“Amanda battled out there,” Bartlett coach Jim Wolfsmith said. “She wasn’t sharp in the beginning. She found her rhythm in the middle innings and was able to get some outs, but they hit the ball real well.”

Montbriand’s counterpart, South Elgin pitcher Sam Bolin, was the victim of both poor defense and poor defensive decisions. Bolin (8-11), a senior, also went the distance and allowed just two earned runs on six hits with five strikeouts and two walks.

The Hawks scored an unearned run in the first and one in the second to tie the game at 2-2. They scored another unearned run in the third to take a 3-2 lead before senior Stephanie Tomazin provided some breathing room with a two-run double to give the Hawks a 5-2 lead.

“We were sloppy defensively, but so were they and I think the difference is we took advantage a little more,” Wolfsmith said. “We also got some big hits. Tomazin’s double to the fence — that’s a big hit to get a couple runs in.”

The Storm cut the deficit to 5-3 in the top of the fifth on a solo home run from sophomore Taylor Rees. Bartlett came back and scored their fourth unearned run of the game on an RBI single from Sydney Johnson in the sixth for a 6-3 lead.

“You commit six errors in a game, you don’t deserve to win,” Storm coach Jason Schaal said. “When you play a great team, you can’t have those mistakes. We had been hitting much better of late, playing much better defense, and Sam’s been pitching better in the three wins leading up today.”

Victoria Watt (3-for-4, RBI) and Paige Allen (2-for-4, RBI) helped pace the South Elgin offense.

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