by Brent Hovey
Reporter
Aurora -- The goal behind any sports team is to get better and improve as the year goes along. The local varsity softball team followed that plan to perfection for a couple games last week.
After an up-and-down first week, the Greenmen responded with two outstanding victories over Chagrin Valley Conference Chagrin Division rival Chagrin Falls.
Last week, head coach Jaclyn Spirtos called the Greenmen's 11-0 victory over Beachwood the "best game of the season."
That same line was used after Aurora came from behind to beat previously undefeated Chagrin Falls, 8-3, on April 14. And it didn't take long for Spirtos to use the phrase a third time.
With a dominant pitching performance from Christene Buonpane and an error-free defense, the locals topped the Tigers again 2-0.
"That's what you want to see," Spirtos said about saying those three games were Aurora's best. "We just keep moving up. We're playing well right now. We've got confidence and are playing together. We're finally gelling."
In the 8-3 win, AHS got on the scoreboard first with a run in the bottom of the second. However, the Tigers took the lead 3-1 in the top of the fourth.
IN PREVIOUS games, when the Lady Greenmen fell behind they stayed behind. Not this time. Aurora scored three in the fourth and four in the fifth.
"A couple of errors led to their runs, but we came back right away to take the lead, which was real nice to see," Spirtos said. "We regrouped and didn't let the errors cost us the game. Then the bats really came around."
Alex Ogonek pitched and all the runs she allowed were unearned. She struck out 4 and gave up only 5 hits.
Sara Bergoine was the only one with a multi-hit game, but seven batters had a single RBI. Helping the Greenmen out was their aggressiveness on the basepaths, which resulted in 10 stolen bases.
"I like being aggressive when you are very confident," Spirtos said. And confident they were after handling Chagrin for the second day in a row.
"She [Buonpane] was great," Spirtos said. "She had great control of her pitch location and was hitting the corners." She had 4 strikeouts and allowed just 5 hits.
What helped make her so great was the defense behind her. For the first time all year, Aurora had an error-free game.
"This was our best game of the year," Spirtos said. "I thought the first game against [Chagrin Falls] was our best, but this topped it. We made zero errors and manufactured runs when we needed to."
AURORA GOT its first run in the fourth when Hannah Yoe singled, stole second and scored on Buonpane's RBI single.
The Greenmen's second run came in the sixth when they loaded the bases with one out and Yoe's sacrifice fly made it 2-0. That was more than enough for the win.
"We played good all-around defense and made some really nice catches," Spirtos said. "It was a solid game. Christene pitched really well, we got timely hitting and when we needed a big hit, we got it."
The Greenmen dropped to 4-3 with a 7-0 loss to Notre Dame Cathedral Latin in the Lion Invitational at Chardon. NDCL pounded out 13 hits to AHS's one as Buonpane took the loss.
The team was slated to play another game in the tourney, but no results were available.
AHS was scheduled to continue its CVC schedule April 21 and 22 against Kenston.
The next four games are on the road -- against Painesville Riverside on April 24, Copley (a doubleheader) on April 26 and Perry on April 28 before the squad returns home to meet Perry on April 29.
E-mail:
bhovey@recordpub.com
Phone: 330-688-0088 ext. 3115