Battlefield wins first district title in softball

By Dave Utnik

Published: May 14, 2008

Kelsey Sayres didn’t have a soundtrack to accompany her Tuesday afternoon. Not that she really needed or wanted one anyway.

Battlefield’s junior right fielder was just in the mood to sing and her sweet voice was perfectly capable of handling a few a cappella verses of Queen’s hit song “We are the champions” as the Bob-cats began celebrating their first Cedar Run District regular season softball title.

“It feels really, really nice because we’ve worked really hard for this and we’ve been through a lot through the years,” Sayres said. “It’s just awesome.”

Sayres has been around long enough to appreciate what the Bobcats accomplished with a 10-1 victory at Osbourn Park.

The four-year-old program is still, essentially, in its infancy but each spring brings with it more talent and heightened expectations. There is corresponding pressure, too.

Only, now, Sayres and her teammates are more equipped to handle it, which is why the Bobcats were able to make history against a dangerous team on a day when OP’s seniors were supposed to be the featured attraction.

“We were expecting them to put up a big fight because it’s their senior night,” Sayres said. “But I guess we just came out and saw the ball and smacked it around.”

The Bobcats are capable of that any time they take the field. Their lineup is filled with more big hitters than any team in the Northwest Region and, on Tuesday, they combined for 13 hits against Yellow Jacket hurlers Amanda Potter and Rachael Davies.

“As a pitcher you can’t let up against our lineup,” Battlefield coach Joe Schelzo said. “No disre-spect, but a lot of teams have some weak hitters in their seven, eight and nine spots. Our seven, eight and nine batters can sting the ball.”

So can every other Bobcat.

Against OP, the biggest hits came from first baseman Shannon Cleary, the No. 6 hitter and a newcomer to the squad after transferring from Forest Park. She went 4 for 4, with a pair of doubles, and drove in three runs.

“At first I was kind of scared if I was going to play or if there was going to be drama but there wasn’t. I just fit right in,” said Cleary, who also scored three runs. “I already knew some of the girls so that was pretty good.”

Cleary’s arrival is one reason the Bobcats felt they could contend for the district title and clinch the automatic Northwest Region Tournament berth that comes along with first place. She willingly switched from shortstop to first base — a position she’s never played — and quickly became a fix-ture in the starting lineup.

“I’m so proud that I’ve proven myself to these girls,” Cleary said. “It’s definitely an honor to be on this team.”

And it’s an even bigger thrill to be a district champion.

Faced with the possibility of playing a first-place tiebreaker game for the second consecutive season if they’d lost to OP, the Bobcats batted around in the third inning and were never in serious jeopardy with ace Brittany Black in the circle.

Black, who is still bothered by a thumb injury and a callous on her foot, allowed one run on three hits and struck out six in five innings to earn the victory. Megan Sutphin retired the final six bat-ters, striking out three as the Bobcats improved to 17-3 overall and 12-2 in district play.

“That’s the advantage of having two quality pitchers,” Schelzo said. “Being able to have that op-tion to go to Megan is a tremendous advantage.

Having a star-studded lineup doesn’t hurt, either, especially in the Cedar Run District, which is arguably the toughest Group AAA league in the state.

“Anything can happen in this district,” said sophomore shortstop Brittany Clendenny, who was 3 for 4 with 3 RBI. “Nothing is predictable so it’s good knowing that we’re going to regionals.”

With one postseason goal already in hand, the Bobcats have six days off until the district tour-nament begins on Monday.

“Our school has prom coming up so it’s nice to have the prospect of a tiebreaker out of the way,” Schelzo said. “They can focus on their hair and nails for a couple of days.”

Sayres can also spend the extra time rehearsing some new songs just in case the Bobcats make more history by reaching the state tournament for the first time.

“I think you’re going to see us at states,” said Sayres, who had a two-run double on Tuesday. “We’re going to make it there.”