Once again for the Lady Tigers, it held true that if there's going to be a pitching duel - Sam Cole is who you want on the mound.
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Mega Red rival Taylor Kennedy fields one of the top pitchers in the league who is heading to Wayne State on a scholarship next year, but it was the Tigers who came away with a 1-0 win as each pitcher regularly threw heat and retired batter after batter.
"They're probably the hardest throwing pitchers in the league," Belleville head coach Peg Curtis said.
Cole sat down 11 and allowed two hits while Kennedy's pitcher had five strike outs and gave up four hits.
Perhaps the most promising stat for Belleville was the zero in the errors column. Errors have plagued the team lately and cost several tight games.
"I feel real good after tonight's game," Curtis said. "I told them before the game 'We can't choose to lose.' We're much better than a 9-9 team, and they were ready to play today."
In the fourth inning, Jessica Kovach got on base with a drive into centerfield followed by Danielle Stabnau, who also knocked a single into the outfield.
Cole then singled on the next at bat, bringing in Kovach, but Stabnau was tagged out on a play at home plate.
Three of Cole's strikeouts came at a crucial point. Up one in the seventh inning and facing Kennedy's three, four and five batters, she struck out all three to bring the game to a conclusion.
"That's the heart of the lineup and those are the players who you give the most respect to," Curtis said.
Over the weekend Belleville went 2-2 at a tournament in Bedford.
The Tigers dropped their opening game to the host team 2-0. Bedford scored both runs in the first inning and there were no more runs from either side. Belleville had no runs on four hits - two each by Simone Millett and Cole.
A four run sixth inning boosted Summerfield to a 5-4 win over Belleville. Curtis said the girls came out flat after a 20-minute rain delay in the fifth inning.
"Devin Wilson pitched good enough for us to win, we just didn't stay focused after the break," she said.
It took extra innings for the Tigers to beat Riverview 3-0. Cole logged another shut out.
Stabnau went 4-4 including two home runs and a double in the Tigers 11-10 over Wyandotte.
"Stabnau hits the ball hard," Curtis said. "She nearly ripped the glove off a third baseman in one of the games. She hits hard, but she has been unlucky in that she has been hitting right at someone. It was good to see her get these home runs and, I have to check, but I think it's the first this has happened at Belleville."
Cole added an in the park home run.
Belleville will face more of the state's top competition this Saturday at the Canton tournament.
Tom Perkins is a freelance writer for the View/Courier. He can be reached at trperkins@gmail.com.
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