Published: May 08, 2008 11:14 am         

Cooperstown softball improves to 7-5

Staff Report

The Cooperstown softball team improved to 7-5 on the season by winning three of four games last week. Freshman pitcher Anna Sams has continued her dominant ways, striking out 13 in a 8-2 win at Mt. Markham last Wednesday, and another 13 in a 7-4 nonleage home win over Cherry Valley-Springfield on Tuesday. ``Overall, I’m very pleased with how we’re playing,’’ said CCS head coach Dave Bliss. ``We’ve been getting great pitching, hitting the ball well and playing pretty good defense.’’ Bliss said his team played its best game of the season in a 5-2 win at Sauquoit last Friday to sweep the season series from the Indians.

``We played a real solid game,’’ Bliss said. ``Anna only ahd six strikeouts so we had to make the defensive plays behind her which we did. Sams helped her own cause at the plate with a oair of singles, and Sawyer Graham also had two hits, including a two RBI single in the top of the first inning. Catcher Molly Pearlman threw out a runner trying to steal second to end a Sauquoit rally.

The only loss for Cooperstown last week was a 10-1 loss to Sherburne-Earlville at home last Friday.

``They have the best pitcher we’ve seen and they hit the ball very well,’’ Bliss said. ``I think we can compete with them, but on that day they were better than us.’’

The Lady Redskins began a tough stretch of games at Center State Conference leading Waterville Wednesday, and host Canastota Friday in another tough league game before hosting Oneonta for a non-league game on Saturday at 11 a.m.