SEYMOUR—A little more than a year ago, Woodland Regional pitcher Ella VanAlstyne lost two games to the Seymour Wildcats.
On Wednesday night, she and the Hawks got revenge on the Wildcats.
VanAlystne was perfect for six innings, finishing the game with a one-hitter, 16 strikeouts and one hit batsman as Woodland Regional stayed unbeaten with a 12-0 win.
It was the Hawks’ 15th straight win dating back to last year’s run to its third straight state Class M championship.
Despite that title, though, two losses to Seymour a year ago stayed with the team.
“A lot of practice. We practice like we play, and a lot of adrenaline,” VanAlstyne said postgame. “We were going off of what happened last year, and we’re always pumped up to play Seymour. They’re a great team and we know we’re a great team, so it’s always a good match.”
After VanAlstyne–who recorded the 400th strikeout of her career in the game, as well–struck out the side in the bottom of the first, the Hawks immediately took the lead in the second inning.
With one out, Caitlyn Braun singled. With two outs, Emma DeGeorge reached on error. She would later move up to second on defensive indifference and both she and Braun would score when Gabriella Capobianco (2-for-4, run, 2 RBIs) delivered a two-run single.
In the third, the Hawks added another unearned run against Seymour starter Skylar Barton (3 innings, 0 earned runs, 3 strikeouts, 0 walks).
VanAlstyne started things by reaching on an error and advancing to second on the play. A fly ball out moved her to third and she quickly scampered home on a dropped third strike out at first to make it a 3-0 game.
“They came in confident. They had a game plan. They had the whole team pumped up, ready to go,” Woodland Regional coach Loren Luddy said. “We knew we needed a hitter’s mindset. They knew they needed the hustle. I mean, hustle got us going. I mean, extra bases, scoring on that strikeout, all that.”
In the fourth, the Hawks blew the game open scoring seven times after chasing Barton from the game.
“I just thought it would be a good time to give them a different look,” Seymour first-year Samantha Rossetti said. “They were already up by four so, why not?”
Facing a new pitcher, the Woodland bats responded.
Braun (4-for-4, 2 runs scored, 2 RBIs) started things with a lead-off single.
“It feels so great to be able to provide for the team,” Braun said. “I’ve been working really hard to be able to perform the way I did today, so it feels really great to see it payoff.
Confidence is key. We had to be confident. We’re all great players. We just had to believe it and it showed tonight.”
Cassie Lynch’s pinch-hit sacrifice fly plated Braun (4-0), VanAlystyne’s recorded an RBI double (5-0), Kate Liskowski had a two-run single (7-0), and Ayla DeCrescenzo had a two-run triple (9-0).
By the time the inning was done, Braun was back in the batter’s box and delivered a run-scoring single to push the lead to 10.
Braun would later add an RBI single in the sixth and in the seventh VanAlstyne (2-for-5, 2 runs, 2 RBIs) had an RBI double to put the final nail in the proverbial coffin.
In the circle, VanAlstyne was simply brilliant, setting down the Wildcats in 18-up, 18-down fashion over the first six innings.
In the bottom of the seventh, Seymour’s Mia Cunningham delivered a base hit to right field to break up both the perfect game and the no-hitter.
“I was so mad,” VanAlystne said with a laugh. “We’re friends, too, so what can you do?”
Woodland Regional improved to 9-0 with the win while Seymour slipped to 8-1 overall.
“We just didn’t play our game at all,” Rossetti said. “That wasn’t how we’ve played one of the other games this whole year. I think they just let the stage get to them maybe a little, but they know they can play here, so it’s just one game. That’s all.”
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