Members of the Holyoke High School 2018 softball team are pictured from left, front row, manager Jimena Nuñez, manager Emma Thompson, Sarah Razo, Rylee Lundgren, Gabi Gordon, Molly Brown, Serina Almeida and manager Jessica Owens; second row, Brooke Schneider, Lauren Bergner, Shianne Willmon, Lali Marquez, Savannah Burris, Hailey Mavis and Sirissa Casady; and back row, Haley Van Overbeke, Correy Koellner, coach Kendra Schlachter, coach Sherman Kage, Lauren Herman and Victoria Race. — Jim Powell Photography
Dragons scorch Akron Rams in brutal doubleheader
Holyoke softball dominated Akron last Saturday, Sept. 22, during an away doubleheader that ended with two wins, 18-4 and 26-3.
Strong individual performances by Lauren Herman, Hailey Mavis and Sirissa Casady and tight fielding led to massive innings for the Dragons. Saturday’s game followed on the heels of an 18-3 win against the Rams at the Brush tournament earlier this month.
Coach Sherman Kage attributed the win to the team’s focus at bat and ability to recover from small mistakes.
“Fundamental hitting is what it all came down to,” Kage said. “Akron pitched well, and our girls did the right things and stayed disciplined at the plate.”
Holyoke 18, Akron 4
In their first game, Holyoke built up a steady lead over Akron in the first four innings, before running away with the game in the top of the fifth and finishing 14 runs ahead.
Herman started the day off with a bang, homering on the Dragons’ second at-bat and driving in runs for herself and Sarah Razo. Then, in the second inning, Herman homered again, driving in another two runs for herself and Savannah Burris.
The Dragon push continued. Three runs were scored in the fourth inning, and a flurry of big hits and aggressive baserunning earned them 10 runs in the fifth inning. The game finished after the fifth, with an 18-4 Holyoke win.
Batting for Holyoke, Herman hit two home runs, a triple and a single; Correy Koellner, a triple and a double; Razo, two doubles; Mavis, a double and a single; Brooke Schneider and Casady, a double; Shianne Willmon, two singles; and Savannah Burris, a single.
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