It’s been a rough year for the Crawfordsville Athenian Softball team. Friday night they hosted Sagamore Conference opponent Lebanon and fell 13-3 in six innings. Despite still being winless on the season with a record of 0-13 (0-5 SAC) the Athenians continue to show progress in all areas.
Olivia Reed and Laine Schlicher each had two hits in the loss and starting pitcher Kaylie Miller had a two-RBI single in the bottom of the sixth. Numerous base-running errors cost the Athenians more runs and coach Kevin Kellerman despite the lob-sided score thought his team continued to compete well.
“They competed with a different feeling today,” he said. “I had good feeling coming into tonight and we continued to battle and do good things but we just couldn’t get that big, timely hit when we needed it. We’re getting runners on base, but we haven’t been able to string multiple hits together. I know they can do it and I saw it in their eyes tonight.”
Lebanon took a 2-1 lead after one inning and then slowly started to break the game open. The Tigers scored three runs in the third, one in the fourth, three more in the fifth, and capped it off with four in the sixth. 14 total hits from the Tigers continued to apply the pressure each inning. Rylee Wilson led the way with three hits and four other Tigers had two each. Kylie Kadel launched a three-run homerun in the win and ended the game with four RBI’s.
Kellerman knows that his team is close to finally breaking through, but also knows that his team will have to earn their first win and it won’t come easy.
“I think overall we played with them for six innings and it kind of got away late,” he said. “I think this one stung a bit more than the rest and I think that will help going forward. You can see it’s bothering them. We have to get a win for this feeling to go away.”
Both Reed and Schlicher along with a few other players are starting to emerge as leaders for a team that is currently trying to right the ship. Kellerman took a moment to talk about those that have stepped up during a difficult stretch.
“Olivia is our most experienced player and her leadership is coming through like a senior should,” he said. “She’s always talking with the girls after the game. Both her and Laine are really swinging it well and even Brooklyn Mills is starting to emerge as a leader also and that’s been great to see also.”
The Athenians will look to capture that illustrious first win of the season in their next game on Monday as they host Riverton Parke. Following the game against the Panthers, the Athenians will play two games against county rival Southmont.
