Unfortunately for Dunkirk, lightning didn’t strike twice.

The Fredonia Lady ‘Billies came out on top in a rematch between the two CCAA Division 1 West softball rivals at Dunkirk High School on Friday evening by a score of 6-1.

“We came in here and we were ready to win,” said Fredonia starting pitcher Maddy Marsh after Friday’s win.

“As soon as I got here and saw the girls today, I knew we were in good shape,” said Fredonia coach Jesse Beers on Friday. “They were hungry, and I think that they knew after (Thursday’s loss) that they were a better ballclub than what they showed. They were anxious to get out there and show they were better than that.”

OBSERVER Photo by Ron Szot Fredonia’s Maddy Marsh bunts during Friday’s softball rivalry game against the Dunkirk Lady Marauders, in Dunkirk. Fredonia won the game, 6-1.

Although it took until after a rain delay for the Lady Marauders to score on Thursday, Dunkirk didn’t wait long at all to get on the scoreboard on Friday. The second batter of the game, Olivia Yerico-Piazza, drilled a no-doubt home run far over the center field fence to give the Lady Marauders an early 1-0 lead.

“(Yerico-Piazza) has a tendency to get very anxious at the plate, and I knew coming off the win (Thursday) everyone was going to be a little over-aggressive,” said Dunkirk coach Michelle Gilmour. “I told her to just take a deep breath and relax. I know what she’s capable of. She does have a beautiful swing when she takes a deep breath and relaxes. I was really happy for her. It was well-deserved.”

“Giving up the home run in the first, my mind immediately went back to the playoff game last year where they (Dunkirk) hit a home run in the first inning to go up 1-0,” said Coach Beers. “I thought that was okay, because with the way we’ve been swinging the bats lately, I wasn’t worried about one run.”

After struggling a day earlier, Fredonia’s Marsh was right back in the same pitcher’s circle she was in the day before, after field conditions pushed the site of the game back to Dunkirk High School for the second day in a row.

Fortunately for Fredonia, after the early home run, Marsh had the Lady Marauders all figured out. Marsh pitched all seven innings for Fredonia on Friday, striking out seven and not issuing a walk, while keeping Dunkirk scoreless over the final six innings of play.

OBSERVER Photo by Ron Szot Fredonia starting pitcher Maddy Marsh delivers a pitch against Dunkirk in a rivalry softball contest, Friday, at Dunkirk High School.

“It was pretty big to come back, especially after yesterday was not my best game, everyone was up and ready. … Even after the home run, everyone made the plays behind me, we were up with the bats and it was really key for us to get the win today,” said Marsh after the win on Friday.

“I think we were a little too aggressive at the plate,” said Gilmour. “We weren’t being disciplined. We were swinging at pitches over our heads, in the dirt, we were just too aggressive. … They were excited and they were anxious to get out here.”

Fredonia (7-2, 7-2) gave Marsh early run support, scoring a pair of runs in the first inning. The first two batters in Fredonia’s order, Kazlin Beers and Caelin Holt, both came around to score in the inning.

“I think in the first inning, there might have been a little nerves on our defensive side of things,” said Gilmour.

Each team had a runner reach in the second inning, but both sides also fell victim to baserunning mistakes that led to a double play to retire each baserunner. Fredonia added a third run in the bottom of the third inning after narrowly avoiding the third out of the inning on a force play at second base. Fredonia’s Sydney Bigelow was called safe at second base on an infield hit, then she came around to score on an RBI single by Maggie Mignoli. It was Mignoli’s second hit in as many at-bats, after a double in the first inning.

Dunkirk (8-5, 7-5) had a pair of hits in the top of the fourth inning, but both runners were left on base. Fredonia was able to tack on two more runs in the bottom half of the fourth frame, highlighted by a pair of hits and a sacrifice fly by Kazlin Beers to score Kelly Lucas. Fredonia led 5-1 going into the fifth inning, then retired the Lady Marauders in order.

Still at 5-1, Dunkirk’s Monica Pokoj led off the top of sixth inning with a screaming line drive to first base, but Fredonia’s Kelly Gullo was able to make a leaping, highlight reel catch to retire Pokoj.

“It was a great stab. That right there, from an offensive standpoint, when you hit a ball that hard and somebody makes a play like that, it just takes the wind out of your sails. It’s a crushing blow,” said Coach Beers.

Dunkirk followed with a single, but Marsh struck out the next two batters to end the top of the sixth inning. The consecutive strikeouts were her sixth and seventh strikeouts of the game.

“My inside spot was really doing well today, which was good that I was hitting that,” said Marsh on Friday. “I was just more comfortable. I know my team is behind me, and especially after the lead in the first inning, I was just more comfortable.”

Fredonia added another insurance run in the bottom of the sixth inning, as Kazlin Beers came in to score on an error. That set Dunkirk up for the seventh inning, needing to make up a five-run deficit. The frame started off with what looked like a highlight for the Lady Marauders, as Kaitlyn Davis led off with a ball ripped off the right field fence. However, Fredonia had other plans. Davis rounded second and headed for third, but Sydney Bigelow uncorked a relay throw from the outfield grass on a line to third base to retire Davis on the slide.

“For Syd, a girl who’s battled shoulder issues all last year… for her to make that throw… She was ten feet out on the outfield grass. That throw was perfect. It could not have been better. It was on the bag,” said Coach Beers.

Dunkirk had two more hits in the inning, but Dunkirk’s Kymi Nance was called out on the bases for not returning to first base when the pitcher was in the circle, putting an end to the contest.

“What we really preached before the game started was to not let one mistake compound,” said Coach Beers. “What I was looking for was when we make mistakes, we can’t hang out heads. When one person makes a mistake, I need 12 others picking that person up, and that was really what I thought happened. We certainly didn’t play perfect … but I didn’t see the wind go out of our sails. I was really proud of them for that.”

Friday was Fredonia’s fifth straight league game, in which the Lady ‘Billies went 3-2. Fredonia has one more league game before the week is over, today, at Falconer.

“We have to keep this momentum,” said Marsh. “We had the Chaut. Lake loss, we had the Dunkirk loss, but now we have to come out (today) and show Falconer what we can do. We have a lot more to do, a lot more games.”

“I think we’re in a good spot,” said Coach Beers. “You want to make sure you’re hitting your stride going into playoffs and I think we’ve done that.”

Dunkirk now has finished its league schedule, but still has three non-league games scheduled for next week.

Twitter: @bradencarmen