Johnstown softball all smiles after win at Heath

• Sydney Stefanick and Maddi Lusk combined for seven hits and seven runs scored for Johnstown.
• Mikhayla Wolfe had two RBI hits for Heath.

HEATH – With a gash on her forehead but apparently no worse for the wear, Abby Schaffer was sending congratulatory messages to her teammates Friday.

The Johnnies were all smiles after beating Heath 14-4 in six innings in Licking County League play Friday. They had 15 hits a day after being held to just two in a loss to Granville.

"We decided that we needed to come back and get the win (Friday) to make up for (Thursday)," sophomore Sydney Stefanick said. "Just having my teammates to cheer me on is a great thing to have, and it always keeps my attitude up."

Schaffer's two hits were all Johnstown could muster against Granville's Abby Barker. On Friday, Schaffer had an RBI single during the early hit parade against Heath before leaving in the third inning after falling face first into the left-field wall.

The first seven hitters in the order had a hit in either the first or second inning as Johnstown (6-3, 4-3) led 8-0. Stefanick had four hits, including two doubles, three runs scored and three RBIs, but she had plenty of help.

"We are consistently confident in our entire lineup," Stefanick said. "If one or two of us is having a bad day, we know that the rest of our team is going to pick us up in the lineup."

Heath (3-7, 3-4) also endured another injury in a season full of them as left fielder Taylor McCloud was hit in the finger while attempting to bunt. The Bulldogs also are down to their third catcher, and ace Hannah Smith is wearing down under the weight of a busy schedule due to a backlog of makeup games.

"Part of the problem we are facing right now is we are beat up," said Heath coach Ray Cooksey, whose team has had three lopsided losses sandwiching a thrilling eight-inning victory against Northridge on Tuesday. "Our third baseman (Lexi Berger) is playing on one leg and doing a great job. We are just held together with glue and bubble gum right now. ... The kids don't get down. They keep fighting hard."

Johnstown saw two of the league's best earlier this week in losing to Lakewood or the Blue Aces, but the Johnnies are never down long. Maddi Lusk had three hits, including a double, and four runs scored out of the lead-off spot, and Brianna Potter added two hits, including a double, two RBIs and three runs out of the No. 3 spot.

The Johnnies are getting contributions later in the order, too. Mikala Smith and Karaline Boso each had a two-run single, and catcher Erin McConnell put the cherry on top with a two-run home run to left-center in the fifth inning.

"I got off to a slow start hitting this year, so I am trying to work my way back into the top three hitters," said McConnell, who raised her arms after making contact as she headed toward first.

Hannah Smith, Lexi Berger and Mikhayla Wolfe had RBI hits to get Heath on the board in the third inning against Lusk. Wolfe then added an RBI single in the fifth against Stefanick. Lusk and Stefanick each had five strikeouts in three innings apiece.

"We just haven't put all of the pieces together yet to make it work the way we want them to," Cooksey said.

ksnyder@newarkadvocate.com

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