Softball: Braylee Beckham, Elyria open season with lopsided win over Brookside

SHEFFIELD LAKE — Freshman Braylee Beckham may have been a little intimated answering reporters' questions following her first varsity starting pitching assignment for Elyria on Saturday afternoon at Brookside High School. "My curve was working and my rise worked most of the time," she said of her debut, which ended in a 17-1 win over the Cardinals. "It was fun. My team was really good." Beckham let her pitching and coach do the talking. "She's a good one," said Elyria coach Keenan Williams. "She has a chance to be a great one. She's got all the tools. She's young but she's competitive and I think that drives her. I've seen a lot of good pitchers in our program and she has a chance to be up there with the best of them." Beckham struck out 12, including the final seven batters she faced in leading a young team to a mercy-rule victory in cold and overcast conditions. She allowed only a hit — a bunt single in the first inning — and walked only two. In addition to Beckham, Elyria started five other freshmen. The others played center field, shortstop, catcher, first and second and a seventh, Annie Loftin, was used as a courtesy runner and scored four runs while stealing three bases. Catcher Lexi Poulus had three hits and RBIs. Hannah Quayle, at first, had two hits, scored twice and drove home a run. Camille Dunlap, at shortstop, scored three runs and had a pair of hits and the Niemeyer cousins, center fielder Kaedence and second baseman Karli, combined for five RBIs on four hits. Beckham's drove in two runs and scored twice on a single and three walks. "We're competitive," said Williams. "I think that's the best thing about it. We're young but our girls are really competitive. I think that's going to drive them to get better every day and hopefully every situation." Each team scored once in the first, but the Pioneers piled up eight runs in the second by sending 12 hitters to the plate. They added eight more in the last three times at bat. "I told them that's where we did the best," said Williams. "We adjusted the second time through. We had some girls pull the ball, were early to the ball. We try to use the whole field. I thought our adjustments the second time through the lineup was key." For Brookside, it was frustrating but coach Marc Aliff knows it's early. "We knew coming into the season it would be a struggle," he said. "Our pitcher (junior Markie Aliff) had shoulder surgery in October. We weren't expecting her to play at all this year. She struggled a little bit. It's cold out and everybody didn't expect to play (Saturday)." Contact Tim Gebhardt at 329-7135 or at timothygeb@msn.com.