‘See ball, hit ball’: Simple approach with runners on base enables Raiders to pick up WCC victory

QUINCY — Alyssa Ley tried not to let any grand illusions cross her mind.

Stepping to the plate with the bases loaded in the fifth inning of a one-run game, the Quincy Notre Dame softball team’s junior shortstop roped a double the opposite way to right field to drive in two runs.

Lauren Miller followed with an opposite-field single to plate two more runs as the Raiders scored four times in the frame and earned a 6-1 victory in a key West Central Conference game against West Hancock on Wednesday at The Backyard.

“The energy had definitely shifted for us,” Ley said. “That’s when we said, ‘Hey, let’s win this game.’”

It started with a simple approach.

“Honestly, I try not to think about it too much,” Ley said of hitting with the bases loaded. “The pressure does sometimes get to me. I just went up there and said, ‘See ball, hit ball.’ Just hit it hard.”

Having allowed a run in the top of the inning, the Raiders (13-1, 7-0 WCC) needed to swing the mojo back in their direction.

Lanie Fesler led off the fifth by reaching on an error and Caitlin Bunte followed with a double to left field. A groundout forced both runners to hold before Brooke Boden drew a walk to load the bases. Ley hit the first pitch from the Titans’ Jordyn Climer to right field.

“It was just good to get the momentum back,” Ley said.

All it takes is a steady hand.

“Alyssa just understands situations and didn’t try to do too much,” QND coach Eric Orne said.

It avoided any flashbacks. A year ago, on the same day QND held its school-wide Olympic day, the Raiders went to Hamilton and lost 2-1.

“We’ve always struggled with this day a little bit being Olympic day and keeping our focus,” said Orne, whose team travels to Beardstown on Thursday before facing Chatham Glenwood at home Friday. “But we overcame that tonight, had some good at-bats, got some huge hits.”

Mara Becks had one of those, driving in QND’s second run with a two-out single in the fourth inning after courtesy runner Waterkotte took second on a wild pitch.

“She had a really good approach at the plate,” Orne said.

West Hancock broke through against Bunte for a run in the fifth as Isabel Brown led off with a single to right field, went to second when Mady Bolton was hit by a pitch and scored on Climer’s two-out single to center field.

Bunte limited the scoring opportunities thereafter, retiring seven of the final nine batters she faced. She struck out 11 and allowed just five hits. Climer had two of those hits.