Softball: Amherst falls to Lake in Prebis Memorial Classic opener as future Findlay teammates battle in the circle

NORTH RIDGEVILLE — The University of Findlay will be good on pitching for the next four years. Both starting pitchers Friday are committed to the school and will begin attending in the fall. Uniontown Lake senior Gianna Greathouse and Amherst senior Leah Sprague dueled it out, with Lake prevailing 8-4 in the first game of the Prebis Memorial Classic for both teams. The game was closer than the score indicates. "She was solid out there for us, as usual," Lake coach Grace Franjesevic said. "A lot of strikeouts for her today, and our defense rallies behind her." The start of the game was delayed 50 minutes due to rain. Amherst got the scoring started as Sprague smashed an opposite-field home run in the bottom of the first to give herself an early cushion. Greathouse punched back with an RBI single in the top of the second to cut the lead in half. Amherst extended its lead in the bottom of the third as senior second baseman Makenna Dorobek drove in two with a single. That would be the last of the scoring for the Comets. A walk drawn by Bri Handy and a bunt single by Aubrey Eisele in the top of the fifth set up an epic 11-pitch battle between Sprague and Lake's Olivia Draher. The battle was won by Draher as she pulled the 11th pitch for a tying three-run homer. Amherst's defense fell apart in the top of the sixth, committing three straight errors, one allowing Lake freshman Giada Pilato to score. Olivia Gross put the finishing touches on the game as she cleared the bases with a three-run double to extend Lake's lead to 8-4. Greathouse, who looked stronger as the game went on, got five of her final six outs via strikeouts to beat the incoming rain. "I get that a lot, so I would agree with you," Greathouse said. Greathouse went all seven innings, allowing four earned runs, eight hits and three walks while striking out 12. The senior righty pounded the zone, throwing 90 of her 142 pitches for strikes. Sprague allowed eight runs (four earned), 11 hits and a walk. She struck out nine. "A very competitive effort from her today," said Amherst coach Lacey Reichert. "She did everything we needed her to do, she threw strikes and competed all seven innings." She also pounded the zone as 95 of her 148 offerings found the plate. "We have only talked about three times, but she is a great player," said Greathouse. "The first at-bat she hit my curveball, so I knew I needed to shy away from that. I tried to go up-and-in, throw her a couple of change-ups, just tried to find where her weak spots were because she is a phenomenal hitter." Greathouse also turned in a 3-for-4 day at the plate with an RBI. Eisele, Draher and Gross had multiple hits. Freshman catcher Morgan Lymer led the Comets, going 3-for-4. The Comets (10-6) are scheduled to continue play in the tournament today with a doubleheader, as they take on St. Ursula Academy at 10 a.m. and Anthony Wayne at 2 p.m. Lake (10-5) will play Anthony Wayne at noon and Medina at 2 p.m. "That's a solid Uniontown Lake team, we were right with them and one bad half-inning cost us," said Reichert. "The message is we can play with anybody and that is why we are here, to see where we are at against good teams."