Summit Impact Drop Game to Madison-Honor Tree

The Summit Impact lost to Madison-Honor Tree, 8-3, at Ashland Field on Thursday in fifth and sixth grade softball.

The Impact mustered only three hits against the tough pitching of Honor Tree, but managed to load the bases in three of the six innings and had at least two runners on base in every inning.

"We tried hard, but faced a really difficult team," head coach John Calabrese said. "But there were a lot of missed opportunities and crucial errors."

Honor Tree led off the top of the first by loading the bases with only one out. Honor Tree then drove in all three runs on a double, but the Impact stopped the bleeding when pitcher Hannah Calabrese managed a strike-out and forced a ground out.

The Impact couldn't get any runs across in the first, despite drawing two walks. After Honor Tree added a fourth run in the second, the Impact once again didn't score a run after two walks.

Honor Tree threatened again in the third, but Impact pitcher Kayla Hoesly did an outstanding job of getting out of the inning. She got out unscathed after allowing back-to-back hits leading off the inning, allowing no runs. The Impact loaded the bases in the bottom of the third with one out, but didn't score and entered the fourth inning trailing 4-0.

Honor Tree added four runs in the top of the fourth behind a few doubles and a two-run single. It could have been more but the Impact made a nice defensive double-play on a bunt.

The Impact finally made a splash in the bottom of the fourth, using two walks and a Jackie Shepard single to load the bases with only one out. Katherine Ciaravalli came up and hit an RBI-single to cut the lead and Hannah Calabrese followed with a run batted in of her own.

The Impact followed their two runs with an impressive top of the fifth. Hoesly struck out the first two Honor Tree batters looking and then Hannah Calabrese made a nice catch on a line drive to end the inning.

The Impact struck again in the bottom of the inning, when Alex McDonald got Emmy Trone home on a ground ball to make the Honor Tree lead five.

After a promising top of the sixth and final inning in which Honor Tree scored no runs, the Impact loaded the bases with two outs. However, no runs came across and the team fell short in their comeback bid.

"I am very proud of the way the team played," Calabrese, the coach, said. "These girls give it their all every time they show up to play."

The head coach added that his team will work on a few things for next time.

"I told these girls that before we face this team again, we are going to work on base running and game situations."