Summerfield rolls into semifinals, beats Gobles 16-0

BATTLE CREEK, Mich. -- Summerfield needed just four innings to get past Gobles 16-0 on the mercy rule in a Michigan Division 4 softball quarterfinal at Bailey Park on Tuesday.

The Bulldogs scored five runs on seven hits before the first out was recorded in the first inning.

"In 37 years of coaching, one year in baseball I had a team start out with seven straight hits," Summerfield coach Robert Taylor said. "This is the only time other than that I've seen it. Seven straight hits sure set the tone for the whole game."

Summerfield added four more runs in the second, chasing Tigers' starter Sharyena Hunt from the circle.

"It was great to get a big lead early," Bulldogs catcher Taylor Goodin said. "[Gobles] had a lot of confidence. They beat a good team to make it here so it was important for us to really get out in front early and then keep the lead."

Goodin continued her hot streak at the plate, following her 6-for-6 day in regional play by going 3-for-3, driving in six runs, and ending the game on a two-run homer to right field to cap off a six-run fourth.

"I haven't really been doing anything different," she said. "I'm just concentrating on hitting the ball solid every time. I work on my swing in practice and during the week to when I get in the box all I have to worry about is seeing and hitting the ball."

Three straight singles by Olivia Ostrosky, Shelby Bruckner, and Brittni Collins set the table for Goodin in the first and she delivered with a two-run triple to right field. The top three in the order each singled again in the second to load the bases for Goodin who singled up the middle to score a pair of runs.

Pitcher Emily Puterbaugh struck out four and allowed two hits for the shutout win.

"All my pitches were working today, especially my rise ball," Puterbaugh said. "I'm getting it by a couple of them."

Just three Tigers reached base in the game as Puterbaugh faced 14 batters, two over the minimum for four innings. Gobles threatened twice. Kelsey Walker hit a one-out double in the first but Puterbaugh struck out the next batter and got the clean-up hitter to pop out.

In the third inning, Stephanie Kovich reached on a bunt attempt when the throw to first sailed into right field and she tried to circle the bases, but a Collins-to-Kysha LaMonde-to-Goodin relay cut her down at the plate.

"We still have to work on focus and we still have to work on a few things on defense," Taylor said. "We had a few defensive lapses and we'll talk about that at practice and work on those. It's a matter of how much you want it at this point."

The Bulldogs will face Mt. Pleasant Sacred Heart in the semifinal on Friday. The Irish beat Bay City All Saints in their quarterfinal 4-3.

"We're extremely confident right now but we can't be so confident that we expect to win," Puterbaugh said. "It's a kind of confidence, but we still know we have to work hard in order to win."