ARCANUM – Arcanum’s Macy Skelton held Ansonia to just two hits on Thursday while the Trojan offense compiled 18 hits in a 16-0 run-rule victory.
Arcanum started the season a little slow, Coach Rick Stone said, but the Trojans are starting to find their groove even after missing almost a week off because of weather-related cancellations.
“We’re a young group of girls,” Stone said. “That first week of the season we struggled a little bit. They’re young. After about the fourth game they really started coming together and playing some good ball. We’ve beat some good teams. They’re young, but they’re definitely going in the right direction.”
Arcanum didn’t take long to get going in Thursday’s Cross County Conference contest as the Trojans plated six runs in the first inning.
Sydney Artz started the Trojans off with a one-out single, went to second on a throwing error, and scored on a single by Gracie Garno for the game’s first run.
After Kaylee Wilcox walked, Hartman drove a fly ball into the outfield, which was dropped, bringing in two more runs and putting Arcanum up 3-0.
After passed ball allowed the fourth run of the game to score, Camille Pohl reached on an error and Elliana Sloan singled. Eva Siculan then drove in two runs with a single to make it 6-0.
“That first week we couldn’t hit a beach ball, and ever since then we’ve been hitting the ball very well,” Stone said. “I was worried tonight being that week off, not seeing live pitching, but they came out and hit the ball real well. Ansonia’s got a nice little pitcher (Trinity Henderson). She was pitching last year for them, and they come out and hit the ball real well tonight. I was pleased.”
Arcanum added its seventh run in the second inning. Wilcox singled to start the inning then back-to-back Ansonia errors allowed the game’s seventh run to score.
“A lot of errors,” Ansonia coach Floyd Jenkins said. “We had like 10 errors. Just girls aren’t coming to play. When you play good teams you’ve got to be ready. Tonight wasn’t our night. Arcanum is a great hitting team. But I think we’ve got a lot of experience on this team. We’ve just got to play better.”
Arcanum scored six runs in the third inning to push its lead to 13-0.
Elle Siculan started the inning with a single then Artz hit a two-run home run. After singles by Garno and Wilcox, Hartman reached on an error then Pohl had a two-run single to make it 11-0. Eva Siculan then added a two-run double to increase the lead to 13-0.
Arcanum’s final three runs came in the fourth inning. Elle Siculan singled, Artz walked and Garno singled to start the rally. Lumpkin had a RBI single then Ansonia committed another error to bring in another run. Finally Pohl had a RBI single to make it 16-0.
While Arcanum had numerous hits throughout the game, Ansonia only managed two. Henderson had a leadoff single in the first inning, and Alyssa Armock had a single in the third inning.
“That was the first time this year I think we saw a pitcher that threw a lot of off-speed,” Jenkins said. “And she’s inside on us. Everything we touched was on the handle and stuff like that, and we didn’t adjust very well.”
Skelton struck out three batters and didn’t walk anyone in five innings of shutout softball.
“She’s been a warrior for us all year long,” Stone said. “Elle is so important in center field for us that Macy pitches the load this year. She’s doing a great job. She’s had us in every ballgame. Even in the first week when we couldn’t hit she had us in the ballgames.”
Ansonia and Arcanum both will continue their seasons on Friday on in the Strike Out Cancer Classic at Newton.
