Solo HR by Owen lifts NFM
After a three-day break due to FCATs, North Fort Myers and Fort Myers had a major softball test scheduled Thursday night at Bobbie Dewey Field.
The fact the first meeting of the season between the arch-rivals didn’t count toward the District 5A-15 standings took nothing away, since both threw their ace pitchers – Jackie Owen for the host Red Knights and Lindsey Richardson for the Green Wave.
The game was every bit the pitcher’s duel the teams anticipated, but Owen provided the difference offensively. Her inside-the-park home run with two outs in the bottom of the sixth lifted the Red Knights to a 1-0 victory.
She lined a shot just over the reach of the center fielder and took advantage of the situation by running full speed around the bases. It set off a wild celebration in the dugout.
“I wasn’t really seeing the ball well, (Richardson) had a lot of movement,” said Owen, who struck out in her two previous plate appearances. “My coach told me to go up there and fake bunt and pull it back and swing to shorten up my swing.”
Owen said she was just trying to put the ball in play, which seemed to be the case for every hitter.
Richardson, who has allowed only two earned runs in 36 innings this season, struck out 13 batters. Owen fanned 11 Green Wave, improving her own record to 11-0.
“All week we talked about a 1-0 game,” North coach Jeff Miner said. “The key was just being mentally tough. Fort Myers is a very good team. They had beaten us, I think, the last eight times we’ve played them.”
Both teams had a few chances to get on the board earlier in the contest.
In the bottom of the third, North’s Lexi Schlotter laid down a bunt attempt and a throwing error allowed her to reach first. She stole a base and reached third, but Richardson struck out the last two batters to end the inning.
In the fifth, Allie Kennedy led off with a single and two batters later, Schlotter was hit by a pitch.
With runners at second and third, Richardson again managed to get a strikeout to end the threat.
As the game progressed, the Red Knights (12-0) continued to show bunt and then swing away. Miner said he felt his players would be able to read the ball better and make contact.
Owen went to the plate in the sixth with that simple approach, but produced the big hit.
The Green Wave (5-3) had two outs in the top of the seventh when Theresa Samstag singled to center. An error on the play put the tying run in scoring position, but the game ended with a strikeout.
“It was a good game,” Fort Myers coach John Schwochow said. “We knew it would be the one that makes the key hit and they made it.”
North returns to action Friday at Mariner.
Fort Myers 000 000 0 – 0 4 1
North Fort Myers 000 001 x – 1 3 3
W – Jackie Owen. L – Lindsey Richardson.
HR – Owen (N).