WHITEHALL — Whitehall finally opened its season Tuesday and scored a
pair of mercy-rule victories over rival Montague, 16-1 and 17-4.
Previous
attempts to open the season were wiped out by weather, while the
Wildcats had had two game days. Whitehall coach Kyle McGrew was pleased
with the way his team performed given that disadvantage.
"Megan (LeaTrea) pitched great in both
games and we had a great day at the plate," McGrew said. "(Montague coach Randall) Mikkelsen
is a great coach with a great group of athletes. I'm thankful our girls
were willing to step up to the challenge and come up with the win."
Whitehall
(2-0, 2-0 West Michigan Conference Lakes) got off to a quick start in
both games, each time scoring three times in the first inning. Annabel
Kevwitch and Janie Fagan opened the scoring by ripping consecutive RBI
doubles, and Kevwitch added a two-run single in the second inning as
part of a five-run outburst. Peyton Schultz had two hits and two RBI in
the win, and Janie Fagan had two RBI. Bella Fogus and Kevwitch each
scored four runs and Fagan went across the plate three times.
Whitehall's Bella Fogus grins after making an acrobatic pick of a throw at first base during Tuesday's WMC Lakes doubleheader against Montague. Whitehall won both games.
LeaTrea allowed only two hits and an unearned run in the opener. She did not walk a batter.
Game
two lasted six innings to game one's four, but it was all Vikings
again. Whitehall manufactured three runs in the first inning and took
advantage of Montague miscues to score twice in the second; the 'Cats
(0-5, 0-2 WMC Lakes) made six errors, and of Whitehall's 17 runs, 10
were unearned. Gentry Knop's RBI double led a four-run third inning that
briefly got the Wildcats back in the game, but Whitehall kept scoring.
Lianne
Fagan had two hits, and Kevwitch had a triple and four RBI. Fogus and
LeaTrea each drove in two runs. LeaTrea again pitched well, allowing no
earned runs on five hits. She struck out six.
