Bellringers' Pitchers, Fielders too Stingy

Any team that gets an early lead can afford the luxury of relaxing, regardless of sport or level of play. Problem is, sometimes the relaxing can lead to a lack of focus. Early leads can evaporate.

The East Hampton High School softball team opened a four-run lead in the first two innings Monday afternoon to earn an 8-0 victory over visiting Portland in a Shoreline Conference game. East Hampton had no lapses in concentration or effort. If there was a temptation to coast after the early lead, the Bellringers didn’t show it.

East Hampton (3-3) - using two pitchers - recorded 14 strikeouts, walked none, made no errors and collected nine hits to win for the second time in the last three games. The Bellringers improved to 3-0 in the conference.

Portland (0-6), which sent three pitchers to the mound, issued nine walks and fell to 0-5 in the Shoreline Conference. The Highlanders twice advanced runners to third base but failed to get the run home each time and were shut out for the third time in 2011.

“Nine walks is going to put pressure on the other team,” East Hampton coach Matt Warner said. “It allows our batters to have more patience in the batters’ box.

“So far this season, we had been having trouble getting runs in the early part of the game and there’d be stress for us to score. If you get that early lead, if you make an error, you are less likely to get down on yourselves. There’s less tension and you’re willing to take risks and you’re able to be more challenging in the batters’ box."

After East Hampton starter Emily Clausi struck out the side in the top of the first inning, the Bellringers capitalized on wildness to take a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Portland sophomore starter Megan Wache, recovering from a lower back injury, walked Ashley Chasse and Clausi with one out and then retired Britt Fiederlein. But Madison Reinhard singled into right-center field for the first run of the game.

In the top of the second, Meagan Morris singled past the shortstop, stole second and reached third on a passed ball but was left stranded.

In the bottom of the second, East Hampton opened a 4-0 lead on two hits and four walks. The three runs could have become more but Wache got Shannon Law to ground out with the bases loaded. Katy Robinson drove in a run on a fielder’s choice, Chasse picked up the second RBI of the inning on an infield single and Reinhard’s bases-loaded walk forced in the third run.

The Bellringers scored four runs off Portland reliever Alexa Decina on three hits, a walk and an error in the third inning. Robinson’s double to right field scored two runs and singles by Clausi and Fiederlein produced the game’s final two runs.

“Today it took only one inning to get it so tight she couldn’t pitch anymore,” Portland coach Dave Opuszynski said about Wache’s back. “Alexa just struggled.”

Opuszynski relieved Decina with Morgan Wyslick in the bottom of the fourth inning. Wyslick shut the door. She pitched three innings and gave up no runs on three hits and two walks without a strikeout.

“She was around the plate,” Opuszynski said. “If you can keep East Hampton scoreless for an inning that’s an exemplary inning. East Hampton has a quality program. They’ve demonstrated that year after year.

“East Hampton has some of the best pitching in the league with Emily starting and Britt relieving. If you cannot catch up with what they’re delivering, you won’t get the results you want to. When the ball was in play, their defense was solid. Look, we’re taking the good out of it. We wanted to limit our mistakes and our defense played about as well as could be expected.”

Clausi pitched four innings. She struck out seven Highlanders, walked none and allowed two hits. Fiederlein threw the last three innings, allowing no baserunners. She struck out five and walked none without giving up a hit. Fiederlein struck out the side in her first inning, the fifth.

“Their control and consistency provides a lot of stability for the team,” Warner said about Clausi and Fiederlein. “When both of them are on, the players understand they have the pitchers on the mound to not to give up a lot of runs.”