Le Mars Daily Sentinel: High School Sports: Tilley's HR powers Gehlen past RSM 5-3 (07/02/09)

All she wanted was a base hit, but Gehlen junior Rachel Tilley got a whole lot more as she belted a three-run homer in the fourth inning of Wednesday's 5-3 War Eagle Conference win over Remsen St. Mary's.

"I was just hoping for a base hit to bring maybe someone around or to get on base," Tilley said.

The junior's home run did more than give her squad a 3-0 lead over its heated league rival.

(Sentinel photo by Bethany Kroeze) RSM second baseman Makenzie Ricke waits to record an out at first after Gehlen's Kayla Holtgrewe laid down a bunt during Wednesday's Conference game in Le Mars.
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"It gave us momentum," Gehlen coach Patty Hatting said. "There were a couple momentum breakers [earlier] in the game that hurt us so to get that momentum back was huge at that time. It was nice to get something turn for us on the offense."

But even with a three-run lead, Tilley and the Lady Jays knew it would take more to defeat a Hawks' squad that has won two straight league games as well as the last meeting between the two teams - a 1-0 victory that placed RSM fifth at the Spalding Catholic tournament.

"We knew we had a lead but we knew they were good and they could hit just like us," Tilley said. "So we had to stay good with the defense and get some more runs."

The Lady Jays did just that in the bottom of the sixth, after the Hawks cut their deficit with two in the top of the inning.

In the St. Mary's half of the sixth, Jennifer Feller walked and then Sadie Lewis singled Feller to second. Miranda Staab reached on a fielder's choice where Gehlen got Feller out at third as Lewis advanced to second. Kelsey Trejo reached on an error that scored Staab and Lewis.

For Gehlen in the sixth, Kayla Hatting singled and advanced to second on Kayla Holtgrewe's groundout. Lexi Wiltgen reached on an error and advanced to second on passed ball. Jessie Timmins reached on an error that scored Hatting and a Tilley single scored Becca Vonnahme, who was running for Wiltgen.

RSM added one more in a rally effort in the top of the seventh but it was not enough for the Hawks, who fell 5-3.

Defensively, the Lady Jays struggled with errors in Wednesday's contest.

"I think throughout the whole game, our girls didn't look as relaxed out there as they usually do," Hatting said. "Obviously they want to win every game, but tonight was big for them with the 1-1 [split], to break that."

"We weren't as relaxed out there," she continued. "We saw some defensive errors that we have not been seeing from the girls."

Tilley agreed that the squad was pumped up for the game. "We were fired up for this game, but we knew they were too," she said.

Gehlen won a 13-5 decision in Remsen on June 10 and dropped the 1-0 contest at the Spalding tournament on June 20.

Tilley led the Gehlen offense with her three-run homer and a single in the sixth as Gehlen scattered six hits in the contest.

RSM starter Feller fanned three and walked two in the complete-game loss.

Winning pitcher Danielle Gunter surrendered two runs on four hits and three walks and struck out one in six innings of action.

Lexi Wiltgen got the save as she allowed one run on two hits in the final inning of play.

Emma Krier and Kristin Loutsch led the RSM offense with two hits apiece.

RSM (16-14, 4-11) returns to WEC play Friday with a double header at Unity Christian in Orange City.

Gehlen (19-10, 12-4) travels to Paullina to face South O'Brien on Thursday.