The Nation Ford softball team dropped bookends of a three-team triple header Saturday at home.
In game one, the Falcons fell to Chapin 4-2. Chapin then lost to the Gray Collegiate War Eagles in game two and Nation Ford fell to Gray Collegiate 14-4 in game three.
“That is a state championship team that hits the ball and we didn’t,” said Nation Ford head coach Craig Brown. “That is great competition before you go to spring break with playoffs coming in a month.”
In the Falcons’ game against the War Eagles, Gray Collegiate opened the game with a double and scored on a wild pitch to get on the board early. Nation Ford struggled to get anything started in their half of the first inning.
Starter Kirsten Goldhammer settled down in the second inning and despite allowing a base runner she didn’t allow a run. However in the third inning, the first three batters got on base for the War Eagles with the help of two singles. A passed ball and a single later, Gray Collegiate added three more runs to take a 4-0 lead.
Nation Ford got the bats going in the bottom of the third as Kailey Alston walked and then Tori Baldino got the Falcons’ first hit of the game. Makayla Bess then singled to drive in Alston as that was all that Nation Ford could get in the inning.
In the fourth inning, Goldhammer was pulled with two outs in the inning and replaced with Paizlei Ross.
The War Eagles responded with a two-run home run to extend their lead. A double and a second two-run home run of the inning gave the War Eagles a comfortable 10-1 lead.
Nation Ford fought back as Abigail Loser led the bottom of the inning off with a triple and then took home on a passed ball. Nation Ford kept pushing the pace by putting two runners on base with two outs as Jill Hennessy singled and then an error put another run in the books for the Falcons.
Gray Collegiate came out hitting in the fifth inning leading to another pitching change with Alston coming to the circle. The hitting continued for the War Eagles as they scored four runs on four hits in the inning.
Nation Ford was able to score a run in the bottom of the fifth inning, but it wasn’t enough to prevent the mercy rule being enforced as the War Eagles took the win.
Bess went 1-3 with the only RBI for Nation Ford as all their other runs came on errors. Hennessy, Ross, Loser and Baldino got the other remaining hits for the Falcons in the game.
In game one of their doubleheader, the Falcons lost 4-2 to Chapin managing just four hits in the game.
No player got more than one hit for Nation Ford as those getting hits included Ross, Knol, Loser, Bess and Jackie Knol. Alston got the loss going four innings and allowing two runs on three hits, while striking out three.
“The first game we put pressure on them every inning,” Brown said. “There wasn’t an inning we didn’t get on base. We just didn’t come through with the hits when we needed it. “
The two non-region losses dropped the Falcons to 8-3 overall on the season.
Mac Banks: mac@fortmillprepsports.com, @fortprep
