High school softball: Mistakes, 18 K's make for a long day for Vermilion against Norwalk

VERMILION — The third time through the lineup proved to be the harm for Vermilion. Norwalk sent 11 batters to the plate in the fifth inning Friday, scoring seven times on six hits in blasting the Sailors 9-0 in Sandusky Bay Conference Lake Division play. "We were able to string together what we needed," Norwalk coach Julie Schmidt said. "We were able to execute some small ball, which is really important for our team." Execution was an issue for the Sailors (1-5-1, 1-4 SBC), who committed six errors to go along with a number of mental lapses that led to Norwalk runs. "At this level, we should not be doing those sorts of things," Vermilion coach Tony LaRizza said. "We practice and practice that stuff, but we get in a game and it seems like it goes out the window. They are not thinking ahead to where to go with the ball. We've got to get better at that." Of course, it might not have mattered the way Norwalk pitcher Haley Gockstetter was throwing. She hurled a four-hit masterpiece with 18 strikeouts. "We were coming into the game hitting pretty well, but we didn't adjust very well and she was on fire," LaRizza said of Gockstetter. "I was talking to my assistant during the game and we couldn't remember many outs in the field." The mental errors started early as the Truckers got all the offense Gockstetter would need with an unearned run in the top of the first. Mya Prochnow led off with a single and came around to score on a sacrifice bunt from Callie Helton. Prochnow was running with the pitch and the Sailors had no one covering third on the throw, allowing the run to come home. Vermilion pitcher Gracie Porter settled down for the next two innings, but Morgan Leber reached safely on an error with one out in the fourth and trotted home on a double from Tyra Corbin. Everything went wrong for Vermilion in the fifth. The Truckers got consecutive singles from Madison Simon and Hailee Smith, who advanced on a double steal. Prochnow loaded the bases with a bunt single, with Simon coming home on an error. Gockstetter followed with a bunt single that allowed another run to score when no one was covering second or third. Morgan Leber drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to center. Emily Skeel added an RBI single and Corbin laced a single to send Skeel to third. Corbin stole second and both raced home on an error. "We talked about it after the game," LaRizza said of the mistakes. "We talk a lot about this in practice, but obviously we haven't talked about it enough yet for it to sink in." Gockstetter sailed through the lineup, scattering three hits through the first six innings. The only real threat the Sailors mounted came in the seventh when Abi Rhoades reached on an error and Cora Frederick followed with a single. Rhoades and Frederick executed a double steal to get into scoring position, but Gockstetter got Hannah Pinwinski and Hailee Mayer on strikes to end the game. "(Gockstetter) was lights out today," Schmidt said. "This was a career high for her with 18 strikeouts in a game. Out of 21 outs, that's pretty much unbelievable. "I'm super proud of her and happy for her." Corbin led the Truckers (5-7, 3-2) at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI, while Prochnow was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and a stolen base. Pinwinski's fifth-inning double led the way for the Sailors. Contact Dan Angelo at (440) 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com.