East Ridge softball: Gregory, Raptors shut down Roseville

Behind a two-hit shutout by starting pitcher Sam Gregory, the East Ridge softball team blanked Suburban East Conference foe Roseville 2-0 on Thursday, April 21, in Roseville for its third win of the young season.

“Everyone always focuses on the result, and the result was good, but we have a ways to go,” East Ridge first-year head coach Tom Nemo said. “We’re 3-1, which is a good start.”

Gregory, a senior, struck out nine while walking two in the two-hitter, allowing no runs. For the year, Gregory is 3-1 with a 2.96 ERA and 30 strikeouts in 28 1/3 innings pitched.

“Sam just pitched great,” Nemo said. “She was really the difference in the game. She located her pitches well and her change-up was working. She pitched really well.”

East Ridge (3-1; 3-1 SEC) had only three hits in the win, but took advantage of some blunders by Roseville (0-3; 0-3 SEC).

Both of the Raptors’ runs were unearned as East Ridge senior Amanda Maki scored on an error to give East Ridge a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning and junior Taylor LeMay scored from third base on a wild pitch in the top of the seventh inning.

Roseville did threaten East Ridge in the bottom of the seventh inning.

The first two Raiders’ batters got on base in the inning. However, Gregory struck out two batters and forced a pop up to close the door on Roseville.

Maki was 1-for-2 in the game with a walk and LeMay was 1-for-3. Additionally, Jessika Simonson was 1-for-2.

East Ridge had only three hits, but also only struck out three times.

Nemo said the Raptors had a hard time adjusting to the pitching of Roseville seventh grader Aryka Knoche.

“She (Knoche) kept the ball down and threw a lot of off speed stuff,” Nemo said. “They weren’t used to it and their timing was way off. We put the bat on the ball, but we had a lot of very weak outs.”

Nemo said solid defense in the game contributed to the Raptors’ win, as well.

East Ridge has not committed an error in the past three games.

“I’m happy with our defense,” Nemo said. “Now we have to connect our offense and our defense. We’re a ways from where we want to be, but we’ve only played a quarter of our games yet.”

Maki and junior Tia Tourville lead the team in batting on the year, each hitting .500. Ronquillo leads the team in hits with five and is bathing .357. LeMay is fourth in batting with a .308 average and leads the team in RBI with five.

East Ridge took on Cretin-Derham Hall (1-4; 0-3 SEC) on Monday, April 25, at East Ridge after the Bulletin went to press. Next, the Raptors travel to fourth-ranked Hastings (3-1; 3-1 SEC) on Wednesday, April 27, and undefeated Stillwater (5-0 4-0 SEC) on Thursday, April 28. The team will then compete in the Mankato East Tournament, beginning on Friday, April 29.

“The next four or five games is really going to tell us what kind of team we are,” Nemo said. “We have our work cut out for us. So far I am happy, but we need to play with a little more intensity. That’s still a work in progress. For us to compete with the best teams in this conference and in this section we need to pick it up, we really do.”

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