Bears Struggle in Losses at Morabito Tourney

BREWSTER—It was a week the Brewster High softball team would rather forget, as the Bears (4-7, 1-2) dropped a pair of league games to Yorktown, and went 1-3 in the Morabito tournament in Binghamton.

Brewster third baseman Savannah Sergio tags out Caitlin Kline of Yorktown last Wednesday at Brewster. SKIP PEARLMAN The Bears opened their week with Wednesday's 4-0 loss to the Huskers, and followed that up with a 2-0 loss to the Huskers once again, before the tournament on Saturday and Sunday.

By the time the Bears picked up a 3-1 win over Falconer on Sunday, their losing streak had been pushed to five games.

“I think that is the longest losing streak Brewster's had in a decade,” said coach Lisa Delzio.

Jess Griesinger made the start for the Bears, and pitched all seven innings, she struck out five to pick up the team's first win in 10 days.

Kristen Sliman had the big hit of the game, delivering a two-out, two-run single in the bottom of the third to drive in two runs for the Bears. Kelly Bentson continued to hit, and went 2-for-3 to close out a week in which she went 6-for-11.

Bears hurler Kelly Bentson delivers in loss to Yorktown. SKIP PEARLMAN The three other tournament games the Bears played all followed a similar pattern, the Bears would get solid pitching, but would be undone by sloppy defense and a lackluster offense.

The Bears' losing streak hit five games with Sunday morning's 3-2 loss to Webster-Schroeder.

Bentson made the start for the Bears and once again pitched a complete game, but was the victim of two firstinning errors that put the Bears in an early hole that proved to be insurmountable.

Savannah Sergio went 1-for-2 with a double, and Marisa Delzio went 1-for-3 with a triple, and a sacrifice in the loss.

Saturday's game against Baldwinsville went much the same way as Sunday's loss, with Bentson having another solid pitching performance wasted by poor defensive play. The Bears committed three errors in the game and lost, 3-1.

Brewster’s Christina Graff takes a swing last week against Yorktown. SKIP PEARLMAN Bentson struck out seven and allowed just one earned run but was tagged with the loss.

“Kelly pitched well,” said Delzio. “But sloppy play seems to be the bane of our existence.”

Just a few hours after losing to Baldwinsville, the Bears were back on the field, losing 5-4 on a walk-off home run against Binghamton.

For the first time all week the Bears played error free, but it wasn't enough to come away with the win in a back and forth game.

The teams traded the lead before Binghamton tied it the sixth with a home run, and then pulled out the win with another home run, this time with two outs in the bottom of the seventh. Griesinger made the start for the Bears and was the losing pitcher of record.

Kristen Sliman of Brewster takes her cuts against Yorktown. SKIP PEARLMAN Although they came up short on the scoreboard, the Bears saw some signs of life from their struggling offense. Benson and Sergio each had two hits, while Katie O'Connell had a double and two RBI.

Prior to the tournament the Bears dropped a pair of midweek games to Yorktown. In the second of the two games, the pitchers excelled. Griesinger made the start for the Bears and went the distance, striking out six, while giving up just three hits, but once again was on the hook for the loss.

Unlike the Bears, the Huskers made the most of their limited offense by stringing all three hits together, to push across the only two runs either team would score.

O'Connell and Christina Graff accounted for the Bears only hits.

“We scattered two hits,” said Delzio. “We hit the ball, but we hit it at people.”

The day before, the Bears once again got another strong start from Bentson, only to lose because of sloppy defensive play. Bentson once again pitched a complete game, this time she struck out eight, and allowed four runs, of which only two were earned.

Delzio and Griesinger each doubled to lead the Bears, who scattered six hits, and stranded nine runners on base.

“They were probably the worst two games we played all year,” said Delzio. “We were very sloppy defensively, and we left a lot of girls on base, we couldn't get anybody across.”

The Bears will look to turn things around today (Thursday) at home against Mahopac at 4:30.