Prep softball: Weber socks Syracuse to win Region 1 championship; first since 2012
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- Weber High’s Kendall Strasburg celebrates her home run in a game against Syracuse on Tuesday, May 2, 2023, in Syracuse.
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- Syracuse catcher Brielle Milius throws out a Weber runner at first in a game Tuesday, May 2, 2023, in Syracuse.
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- Weber High’s Ellie Nielsen runs the bases in a game against Syracuse on Tuesday, May 2, 2023, in Syracuse.
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- Syracuse pitcher Jacee Hammon fields a ball in a game against Weber on Tuesday, May 2, 2023, in Syracuse.
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- Weber High’s Hadley Howell catches a ball in a game against Syracuse on Tuesday, May 2, 2023, in Syracuse.
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- Syracuse High’s Jazmine Prathan follows through with her swing in a game against Weber on Tuesday, May 2, 2023, in Syracuse.
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- Weber High’s Hadley Howell hits a pitch in a game against Syracuse on Tuesday, May 2, 2023, in Syracuse.
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- Syracuse’s Grace Thomas runs the bases in a game against Weber on Tuesday, May 2, 2023, in Syracuse.
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- Weber High’s Kendall Strasburg (2) is greeted at home by teammates after her home run against Syracuse on Tuesday, May 2, 2023, in Syracuse.
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- Weber High’s Kendall Strasburg swings at a pitch in a game against Syracuse on Tuesday, May 2, 2023, in Syracuse.
SYRACUSE — Just as the saying suggests that even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while, most good high school softball players can find a way to get on base at least once during the course of a game.
But four times, that steps up the skill level to a different stratosphere.
Weber High junior centerfielder Olivia Boswell was a quad highlight reel on Tuesday, helping the Warriors to the Region 1 softball title.
The red-hot Warriors run-ruled yet another opponent, swatting Syracuse 13-2 to sweep the season series.
“I just think, see a lot of pitches and get on base however I can. I can walk; I can hit. Just try to get on base,” Boswell said. “Coming into today, I really wanted to set the tone because we wanted to get a lot of energy at the first.”
Boswell rapped out three singles, scored three runs and had an RBI. On one of the hits, she beat out a routine ground ball to shortstop, then reached base the other time on an error, the result of a harried infielder trying to make a play.
“I do rely on my speed sometimes, when I get a little dinky grounder, but no matter how I get on, I’m happy with it,” Boswell said. “I like being the leadoff (hitter) because when I get on, my team hits me in. We have an awesome second hitter, Kendall (Strasburg); she hits me in almost every time.”
Strasburg, perhaps more well known for her pitching prowess, smashed a two-run homer in the top of the first inning, giving the Warriors (14-4, 9-1 Region 1) an early 2-0 lead.
“When I’m at bat, I try to think about how to boost my whole entire team if I get a hit. I don’t think it’s necessarily about me,” Strasburg said. “It took pressure off me when I went out to pitch, knowing we had a couple of runs. Less stress and I had a good fielding defense behind me.”
Weber scored at least a run in every inning and batted around in a six-run fifth.
“Once we hit, we can’t stop. We string hits together and it is very contagious,” Boswell said. “If one of us gets it going, there’s no stopping us.”
The Warriors have scored double digits in 11 games this year and won by at least 10 runs seven times.
Catcher Ellie Nielsen drilled a two-run dinger and had three RBIs and two runs scored for the Warriors. Brailee Avner added two doubles and drove in a pair of runs, while Logyn Howell had two hits, including a triple and an RBI.
Strasburg was her usual dominant self, striking out seven and allowing only two hits in the five-inning, complete-game win.
“It’s nice to go only go five. It helps my arm recover from everything and makes it a lot easier,” Strasburg said. “I had a fracture in my elbow and a floating bone at the end of last year. I hadn’t pitched since November before this season, so this type of game helps since I made it back.”
Syracuse (10-5, 6-4) kept it close early. A two-run single by Brooklyn Sackolwitz made it 3-2 in the second inning, but Weber plated one run in the third, three in the fourth, then put the game away with the six-run fifth.
Weber last won a region title in 2012, so this crown was a long time coming.
“Going in, we did bring it up to get us excited. We said let’s win this game, but the mentality was treat it like any other game,” Boswell said. “Go out and take it, do what we do. See how many runs we can put up.”