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Tiano strikes out nine, Regina cashes in on five miscues to defeat Allen Park, 6-2, in a Division 1 quarterfinal
Detroit – Sometimes the numbers tell the truth.
Warren Regina continued its fine play the past two months and defeated Allen Park 6-2 in a Division 1 quarterfinal on Tuesday at Wayne State University.
Regina (25-16) has won 22 of its last 27 games and advances to the semifinals for the first time since 2007 when it won its fourth consecutive title. The Saddlelites will play Mattawan (30-12) on Thursday at Michigan State University at 5:30 p.m.
Allen Park (32-10) gave up two unearned runs in the first inning and that was just one segment where the Jaguars displayed poor play in the field, and later, offensively, they would struggle coming through with runners on base.
Allen Park committed five errors and left 13 runners on base wasting 11 hits and a handful of scoring opportunities.
“We hit a few balls on the screws but right at them,” Allen Park coach Patsy Curnell said. “The errors hurt. When you don’t field the ball that can be the difference.”
The turnaround season continues for Regina. The Saddlelites don’t hit with power and often resort to playing small ball.
Marissa Tiano displayed grit by working out of a number of trying circumstances. Trailing 2-0, Allen Park had runners on two and third with one out in the bottom of the second when Tiano got starting and losing pitcher Hayley Bartholomew to hit a ground ball to Jessie Munson at second. Munson threw home to her sister, Gina, who put the tag on Casey Storck for the second out. Kailey Littleton ended inning by popping out to first.
“I’ve been having a couple of jams lately,” Tiano said. “My teammates always are there to back me up. When there are people on base I don’t want them coming in. I get mad at myself and start to throw harder.”
Anger management.
Riley Hison went 2-4 with a run-scoring single in the fourth to give Regina a 4-1 lead.
After two Allen Park errors, Kristi Carlson had a 2-run single to give Regina a 6-1 in the fifth.
Miranda Herbert homered for Allen Park.
Tiano struck out nine, walked one and hit two batters.
“I don’t think it was Marissa’s best game,” Regina coach Diane Laffey said. “We have been playing good defense. We have to. We don’t have the pitcher who can mow people down.”
Not until she gets angry.
Division 2
Also at Wayne State, St. Clair belted six home runs and whipped Center Line 17-0. St. Clair will play Wayland Union in a semifinal on Thursday at MSU at 12:30 p.m.
