Holeman dominates late as Huron defeats Norwalk

HURON — Huron tallied just one hit Tuesday. The Tigers' offense was patient throughout the day, drawing 10 walks and taking advantage of at least five wild pitches. It was enough for Huron as it topped Norwalk 7-5 in Sandusky Bay Conference crossover action. "Staying disciplined at the plate is something we preach all the time," Tigers coach Jude Schmidt said. "We don't ever want to give away an at-bat. We want to make sure we get the full at-bat. They stayed disciplined." A three-run fifth inning was enough late for Madison Holeman. The junior pitcher retired 12 of the final 13 batters she faced. The only one that reached was on a throwing error by Holeman on a dribbler back to the circle. "I tried to hit my corners more and see what I could get from the umpire," Holeman said. "I tried to hit spots that they weren't necessarily ready for. I just got going." Huron (1-0) scored two runs in the first and two more in the third without the ball leaving the infield. Still down 5-4 in the bottom of the fifth inning, the Tigers pushed through. Huron loaded the bases on the strength of three walks as Sophia Ames entered the game for Norwalk (0-2). Kaylee Albrycht's small bloop landed on the infield, scoring a run for Huron. After a strikeout, a ball hit by Reece Hotz wasn't caught in center, allowing the go-ahead run to score. Huron added another run on a wild pitch for a 7-5 lead. "I think it was all about the mindset," Holeman said. "You can't get down on yourself or get down on our team. We had to keep our effort up and our energy high. We had to dig ourselves out of that hole." Saige Viock led off the top of the fourth inning with a double for the Truckers, but it was the last hit of the day for Norwalk. Holeman retired the next three Truckers then put Norwalk down in order in the fifth and seventh innings. She was nearly out of the sixth in order, but her low throw to first put a runner on. Holeman got the next batter to foul out and keep Huron ahead. "I think she dialed in and got more comfortable with our defense," Schmidt said. "We made some good plays in that run. Madison focused. The second inning was a rough one and for us to bounce back says a lot about what these girls can do." The Tigers inserted Rylie Dehn at catcher before the third inning started. Holeman and Dehn have played together for a long time, so it gave Holeman the chance to relax and fire away at the Norwalk lineup. "It definitely helps. They've gone to school their whole lives," Schmidt said. "It's about having someone you're comfortable with back there. We've worked with Rylie back there. Peyton Gammie is going to be a heck of a catcher. She made that nice catch in right field. "It's a lot behind the plate. I think Rylie being back there helped calm Madison down." After going down in order in the first inning, Norwalk put up four runs in the top of the second inning. Scarlet Schneider led off with a double to the wall on the first pitch of the inning. She went to third on a wild pitch and scored later when Audryn Ott reached on an error. The Truckers then took advantage of some erratic pitching from Holeman. Ott stole second then went to third and scored on wild pitches. Caymen Mercer walked and came around to score after a couple passes balls. Viock singled and scored later thanks to the same Huron mistakes. "That was a discussion we had from Saturday to today," Norwalk coach Julie Schmidt said. "We were happy with the improvement we saw in their plate approaches. We continued to hit the ball. We pretty much hit it right at them and they made the plays. They earned their way to the win." But, the Tigers were just as patient at the dish. Viock threw four innings of no-hit ball for Norwalk, but walked six and allowed five runs. She did strike out seven, including five in a row at one point. "We're looking for improvement every day," Julie Schmidt said. "This is an improvement from the last game. From Saturday to today, it's an improvement. We're looking to stack days of improving. Those erratic pitches, they're going to decline as she gains confidence and figures out how to make those in-game adjustments." The Truckers have faced stiff competition out of the gate in Monroeville and now Huron. The schedule doesn't get any easier with contests against Fremont St. Joseph and Elyria Catholic scheduled yet this week. "We typically have a competitive schedule in the beginning," Julie Schmidt said. "We're not scheduling easy games. It's a tough schedule and we like it. It helps shape early successes. You can find successes in failure. That's what we focus on. "Softball is a game of resilience. It's a game of failure. How do we respond when we fail?" Huron is back in action Thursday when it makes the hour-plus drive to Arcadia to take on the Redskins. Then, the Tigers face Sandusky in a road doubleheader Saturday. "Saige pitched a good game," Jude Schmidt said. "This is our first game out here and we didn't get many scrimmages in due to the weather. This was the first time seeing live pitching. It was very promising to see the patience we had." Norwalk 041 000 0 — 5 4 1 Huron 202 030 x — 7 1 1 WP: Holeman (1-0). LP: Ames (0-1). 2B: (N) Schneider, Viock, Mooney