The Pine Bush softball team came out flat and the Minisink Valley Warriors took advantage.

They picked up a run before Pine Bush even came to bat, and then put the game away with three runs in the top of the sixth on their way to a 3-2 non-league win on Wednesday at Pine Bush Elementary School.

“We came up flat,” Pine Bush coach Scott VanPelt said. “We’re putting the ball in play, but unfortunately, we were hitting right to where they were positioned. That’s a hard game, but we’ve played better.”

The Warriors got on the board quickly when Jaylee Ramos singled with one out in the first inning and came around the score when Gianna Lattetti singled to left field, giving the Warriors a 1-0 lead.

The Warriors put runners on base in every inning against Pine Bush pitcher Kaeli Murtagh, except the second. They tacked on another run in the fourth inning when Gabriella Olivo walked and scored when Jazmin Mejia reached on an error by Pine Bush shortstop Kendall Morris.

“She put in the work,” VanPelt said. It seemed to me – and I’m not behind the plate – but it seemed like she wasn’t getting the same calls. I know a lefty delivery is different. That’s a hard thing for some people to pick up, but I think the umps did a good job.”

Pine Bush, also, was no stranger to the base pads putting runners on base against Minisink’s Lattetti in every inning, but only managed two runs while leaving 10 runners on base.

They got on the board in the fifth inning when Nate Burnley led off with a triple down the right field line and scored on Courtney Meyer’s single to left field.

Burnley gives some speed to the top of Pine Bush’s lineup. She scored both of Pine Bush’s runs, also coming around to score after reaching on a strikeout.

“That’s why she’s there,” VanPelt said. “She’s a fantastic all-around player. She hits the ball well. She puts it in play. She’s my leadoff. She does exactly what she’s supposed to.”

The Warriors answered Pine Bush’s fifth-inning run with three runs of their own in the top of the sixth. Murtagh got the first but a single by Charlotte Evans and a bunt single by Alexis Schoen-Beaudette put runners on first second.

Ramos drove in a run with a single to center and two more came around when Madison Ringus singled off of Morris and the ball went into left field.

“We were in our heads a little bit,” VanPelt said. “We were playing flat. It’s hard to play when you’re on your heels.”

Pine Bush also hit into some bad luck in the sixth inning when Kailee Howell doubled to lead off the inning and took third on passed ball. She was then doubled off third base when Kayla Suleski hit a ball that seemed ticketed for left field. But Lattetti got a glove on it, keeping it in the air long enough for the shortstop Olivo to catch it and make the throw to third base for the out.

“Everything told me that was going through,” VanPelt said. “So that was on me.”

It almost happened again in the seventh inning when Murtagh lined out to third base, almost to the exact spot where Meyer was leading off the base. However, she was able to dive back in safely.

Pine Bush managed to get the tying run to the plate in the seventh, but Lattetti struck out Morris to end the game to hand Pine Bush its first loss of the season.

After winning the first two, they opened the week with a 10-2 win over the Cornwall Dragons. They were scheduled to open their league schedule with a crossover game against the Newburgh Free Academy Goldbacks on Monday.

“We can’t come out flat,” Morris said. “it’s a hard enough game when you’re playing against another team that’s just as good as you are. It’s so much harder when you’re playing flat.”