Softball: Averie Reichert shines for Avon at Prebis

AVON — Junior catcher Averie Reichert had a bittersweet experience in this year's Prebis Memorial Classic for Avon. Reichert took a couple nasty, jarring foul balls to her mask behind home plate Saturday as the Eagles took on Holland Springfield, last year's Division III state runner-up. "I've been hit in the head a couple times this season so far," she said. "Those two were the eighth time getting hit in the head, so that's really fun. I've just been toughing it out and just staying there for my team, making sure I'm there for everyone." She made up for it with her bat, blasting a home run Friday during Avon's 11-0 rout of Brecksville-Broadview Heights, and getting a triple against Springfield (8-5) on Saturday that ignited an uprising that fell just short in a 5-4 loss to the Blue Devils. "I've been working really hard on my hitting," said Reichert. "I've been coming in tough after I broke my ankle this past fall. I've been working with my hitting coach and I feel I've been making really good contact. My team's been there to support me through my strikeouts and everything." Avon (7-9) trailed 4-0 going into the top of the fifth inning. The Eagles were the away team despite playing on their home turf after losing the coin toss before the game. To that point, Springfield's sophomore pitcher, Kennedy Shirey, had thrown a one-hit shutout, striking out five, but Reichert ripped the first pitch of the fifth inning over the head of freshman right fielder Sophie Bartolet and raced around to third base and scored with one out on a well-placed bunt by Jordyn Smith to put life back into the Eagles. "You need a spark to start a fire," said Avon coach Jason Ochs. "She gave us a spark for sure. She's been hot the last five games. She's been putting the ball in play and giving herself a chance to get on base." Springfield added a run in the bottom of the fifth but Avon rallied for three runs in the sixth, with Reichert driving in the final run with a single off the glove of sophomore shortstop Adarra Lucio. With one out, sophomore Michaela Jankowski beat out a roller to short and advanced to second on a bunt from the coach's daughter, junior Jocelyn Ochs. Maria Young, Avon's sophomore starting pitcher who struck out eight in three innings, doubled down the third-base line to score Jankowski. Junior Jenna Smith, who homered against Brecksville, drove in Young with a solid triple before scoring on Reichert's infield hit. Unfortunately, the Eagles couldn't push across the tying run in the seventh, stranding junior Katie Heilmann at third. Heilmann walked to start the inning and was sacrificed over to second on a bunt from senior pinch-hitter Genevieve Jankowski. Heilmann stole third but Springfield's relief pitcher, senior Addy Rapp, retired the final two batters on strikes. "It's really a testament to who they are as individuals and our character," Ochs said. "We always talk about an unselfish group, and we do have an unselfish group, that plays hard regardless of the circumstance. It starts with one baserunner at a time. You move them, you chop away, keep working and playing and trust the process." In the finale against Chardon, the Eagles lost 9-2. Young drove in both runs for Avon. The Jankowskis each had one hit with Young, Ochs and Jordan Aysh adding the others. Contact Tim Gebhardt at 329-7135 or at timothygeb@msn.com.