Lancaster's effort isn't enough as Danbury falls in softball

Lancaster's effort isn't enough as Danbury falls in softball

7:10 AM, Apr. 18, 2012  

Written by

Matthew Horn

Sports writer

LAKESIDE TOWNSHIP -- Knuckles knock, you knock it out.

That phrase is a simple memory tool that Danbury third baseman Angie Lancaster uses to remind her about proper hand placement on the bat.

Her memory drill helped Tuesday, but not enough to lift her team to a softball win. Lancaster hit two triples while driving in five runs Tuesday but the Lakers fell to Fostoria St. Wendelin 15-7 in a non-conference matchup.

Lancaster actually keeps her hands together out of habit. It was last year that she couldn't stop thinking about her hands as she missed a significant portion of the season with a broken bone.

"I'm really happy just to get back into it and go hard," she said. "It's great. It was horrible just watching last year. I wanted to be out there so badly."

Lancaster added a single for a third hit Tuesday.

"When I go up I think protect," she said. "I might need a few fouls before I can get it straight."

Lancaster also had a good day defensively Tuesday as she had an unassisted double play and retired the third runner herself on a force at third in the fourth inning. She added a nice catch in foul territory in the third.

Danbury coach Chris Matta said heart is one of Lancaster's primary intangibles.

"We're in the cage all the time working on power strike and weight transfer. She has strength and when she sees the ball ..."

Jessica Hruby, a second-team all-Toledo Area Athletic Conference last season, made nice catches in center field and right fielder EveLynn Hermiller charged to make a nifty backhanded stab before tumbling in the sixth.

"Other coaches know to stay away from center field," Matta said.

ElissaRae Barrere had three singles, scored twice and drove in a run, Tara England scored two runs and Hruby added an RBI for Danbury (1-9). Hermiller and Taylor Zelms each scored a run.

"I saw some better things," Matta said. "We fought back. We hit the ball better. We had some good things happen."