By Trey Hunter
Sports Editor
YUKON – Round 2 of Piedmont’s Canadian County rivalry with Yukon didn’t look much like Round 1.
The Wildcats (20-5) knocked off the Class 6A Millers (22-9) 14-6 Thursday night, racking up 16 hits to avenge their 11-3 opening-day loss on Aug. 12.
It was solid, small-ball defense and production from the bottom of the order that made the difference for Piedmont this time around The Cats held Yukon, a team that likes to square around, to just two sac-bunts and two steals while getting four hits and five runs from their bottom four hitters – seniors Cozee Clark, Ellie Griffin, Mehgan Ray and freshman Tayvin Davis.
“We handled their short game a lot better than the first game of the year,” Piedmont coach Keith Coleman said. “They’re a team that likes to bunt a lot and the first game we did a poor job of playing defense against it. We did a much better job of taking them out of the stuff they like to do this time.”
The Millers jumped out to a 2-0 lead through an inning and a half, scoring once in both the first and second innings. Piedmont responded with two runs on two hits to tie the game in the bottom of the second before scoring four times in the third to take a 6-2 lead.
Clark tripled to get things going in the second before scoring on a single by Griffin. Griffin then scored on a single by senior Kennedi Morelock to make it 2-2. Clark finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored out of the eight-hole while Griffin finished 2-for-4 with two RBI out of the ninth spot.
Freshman Karissa Fiegener walked to lead off the third before scoring on a triple by senior Rikki Hadley to take a 3-2 lead. Senior Jade Rowland drove Hadley in with a knock to make it 4-2 before scoring on back-to-back hits by Clark and Griffin. Morelock reached on an error that scored Clark to make it 6-2.
“Offensively, we were much better,” Coleman said. “When the bottom of the order produces like it did tonight, it’s much easier to score runs. Any time we can turn the lineup over it’s a good thing.”
Yukon tied the game again in the top of the fourth, scoring two runs on four hits and an error, but Piedmont regained the lead in the bottom half of the frame with a pair of runs.
Fiegener again walked to lead off the inning, reached second on a groundout by Hadley and then stole third before scoring on a fielder’s choice by senior Chloe Bohuslavicky. Rowland later singled to drive in a run and make 8-6.
Bohuslavicky and senior Clara Pyle combined to blank the Millers the rest of the way. Bohuslavicky picked up the rare win-save combination. She pitched the first five innings, allowing three runs on nine hits and two walks before recording the final three outs in the sixth in relief for Pyle.
“She threw her changeup a lot better and did a better job of getting leadoff hitters out,” Coleman said of the differences between Bohuslavicky’s two outings against Yukon. “She had good command of all of her pitches and changed speeds well. She was definitely sharp.”
Piedmont tacked on six runs, including three in the fifth and three in the sixth to seal the win.
Hadley drove in two runs with a single before scoring on a knock by Bohuslavicky in the fifth. The duo combined to go 3-for-8 with five RBI. Rowland scored on an error in the sixth before a pair of RBI singles by Morelock and Fiegener.
Coleman pointed to the fact that the rivalry against Yukon is just another tough game for them on the schedule, but was impressed with his team’s play as they prepare for the postseason.
“For us we just try to play as many good teams as we can play, especially at this time of year,” he said. “It’s not easy to get good teams to schedule us in 5A so Yukon is a team we love to play knowing how good they are and how they play the game.”
The Wildcats travel to Hobart (30-6) to close out the regular season Monday before their regional tournament opener against Santa Fe South Wednesday at home.
HITTING STATS
2B: Hadley. 3B: Clark. RBI: Hadley 3, Bohuslavicky 2, Griffin 2, Morelock 2, Rowland 2, Fiegener. SB: Morelock 3, Ray 2, Davis, Fiegener.
PITCING STATS
W: Bohuslavicky. SV: Bohuslavicky. P: Bohuslavicky 77, Pyle 12. SO: Bohuslavicky 2.
