Defensive lineup changes give Utica correct answers in softball victory against Northridge
UTICA ― Emily Meyers apologized to her mom Staci Meyers for a stumbling catch in right-center Monday.
Staci Meyers, the Utica coach, reminded her daughter and new center fielder it still counted as an out in the scorebook. Emily Meyers provided three runs with her bat, but her play in the outfield was just as impactful to lift Utica to a 7-4 victory against visiting Northridge in Licking County League-Cardinal Division play.
"I honestly love it," Emily Meyers said. "I used to be really big on third base, but moving to the outfield I think can give me a lot more looks at college, too. The outfielders always have our pitcher's back. Our speed out there really helps."
Emily Meyers, who hit the go-ahead three-run home run in the bottom of the second inning, made four putouts in center field, including a sliding catch on a sinking liner, saving multiple runs in the process. Senior Lexi Wiegand also made a running catch in foul territory in left field.
Staci Meyers earlier this season made the decision to move her left side of the infield back into the grass. Emily Meyers and Wiegand helped Utica play error-free defense behind freshman Kiersten Hull. who threw 5⅓ innings of scoreless relief after Northridge had scored all four of its runs with two outs in the second inning.
"It's nice to be able to have their pitchers' backs, and that makes everyone else more comfortable in their own zones, wherever it might be," said Staci Meyers, whose team also received two assists and two putouts from sophomore Kaitlin Evans at shortstop, Wiegand's primary position the past three seasons. "We have been practicing a lot of different positions, so it's nice when we can move girls and have that comfortability."
An RBI double for senior Karleigh Lees and two-run double for junior Cheyenne Smith, both with two outs, helped Utica (4-5, 3-5) to a 3-0 lead after one inning. Northridge (2-7, 0-4), however, cashed in three consecutive two-out walks with a two-run double from sophomore Camryn Moore and a two-run single from sophomore Gracie Smith in the top of the second.
Hull relieved Smith and escaped the inning. Hull then went the rest of the way, allowing just one hit.
"Eventually those are going to drop," Northridge coach James Sims said. "All of our hard-hit balls are eventually going to find a spot, but it just wasn't our day today."
Utica again did its damage with two outs in the bottom of the second. After a triple from Hull and a walk, Meyers homered down the right-field line.
Meyers, who was out in front of pitches throughout the game, waited back just long enough and kept it inside the line.
"It felt great, way better," Emily Meyers said. "I have been playing softball for a while, so it's kind of easy in my mind to make the adjustment. I just have to physically make it."
Gracie Smith settled down from there for Northridge, limiting Utica to just a two-out RBI single from Lees in the fourth inning the rest of the way.
Lees, Utica's cleanup hitter, benefits from hitting behind a prolific top of the order. Hull, Wiegand and Meyers combined to score five runs.
"It's more excitement because I get the opportunity to have people on base and get it going," Lees said.
Senior catcher Addison Moore doubled off the fence in right-center for Northridge's only hit off Hull. Moore, who also made a diving catch on a failed bunt by Utica, and standout shortstop Kenzie Hannahs are the Vikings' only two seniors.
Northridge also had only two juniors ― second baseman Kaitlyn Angus and third baseman Josie VanFossen ― in Monday's lineup. Kaylee Goodwin, a third junior and one of the Vikings' top hitters last season, still is recovering from an offseason knee injury.
"(The seniors) have done everything we have asked of them, showing the young players what our standard is," Sims said. "We want to change it. We don't want Northridge to be seen as an easy (win). We want teams to know when they come to Northridge or we go to their place it's going to be a dogfight."
Utica, which has a notable win against Johnstown this season, encounters a difficult challenge Wednesday with a trip to Granville, the state's No. 2 team in Division II. A victory at Heath on Friday would show Utica will have a say in who ends up on top of a tightly-bunched Cardinal Division.
"Lately we have been struggling with the harder teams we've been playing, so we worked on coming together more and picking each other up," Lees said. "That helped a lot this game."
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This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Utica grabs softball victory against Northridge Vikings
