1-3 A Softball Regional: Lady Elks dominate Lamar in opening-round victory
Posted on Thursday, May 8, 2008
ELKINS - Elkins came out firing from the circle and at the plate.
The Lady Elks dominated Lamar in the opening round of the Class 3 A Region 1 Tournament Saturday. Elkins banged 12 hits and capitalized on 8 errors in a 13-0 run-rule win to secure a state tournament berth.
"There was a lot on the line and we came out ready to play," Elkins coach Paula Wheeler said. "You lose this game, you don't go to state. There are still a lot of things this team wants to accomplish. We talked about coming out an making this be our best game no matter who we play and we were really focused."
Senior Amber Caywood held Lamar to just 1 hit, fanning 9 and walking 1 in five innings to notch the win.
Katie Casey led off the second with a single for Lamar's lone base knock.
Elkins (24-2 ) capitalized on a complacent Lamar defense early, scoring 6 runs in the first two frames with assistance from 6 Lady Warriors' errors.
Caywood struck out the side in the first inning. The Lady Elks plated two run in the first. Maddie Divis reached on an error in center and Carly Powers reached on a strikeout, passed ball. Kayleigh Harriman poked a 2-run single to center for a 2-0 edge.
Four errors in the second aided a 4-run frame for Elkins. Mandie Keith singled to center and moved to second on an error in center. Holly Dingledine pumped an RBI double to deep left and Hannah Powers roped a single. Harriman thumped a 2-run single and Powers lofted a sacrifice fly for a 6-0 cushion.
Keith doubled to left to spark a 2-run third for Elkins. Powers bumped an infield single and Harriman tagged a 2-run single for an 8-0 lead.
Five runs crossed the plate for the Lady Elks in the fourth. An error a a walk put runners on for Keith, who conked a 2-run double to deep center.
Dingledine singled past second and Divis banged a 2-run single past short. Powers rolled an RBI bunt single to complete the damage.
Pea Ridge 4 Lavaca 2 Pea Ridge nipped Lavaca in a hardfought tilt, 4-2, to net a state tourney berth.
Brittany Morgan allowed 2 runs on 3 hits to pick up the win for the Lady Blackhawks.
"We talked about jumping on our opponent and putting them in a hole early," Pea Ridge coach Heather Wade said. "We did that early but went in slump and didn't get anything flowing offensively but we kept battling defensively. We told the girls they had a chance to do something not a lot of people get to do and they were focused and wanted it."
Lavaca scored a run without a hit in the first. A strikeout, passed ball and two errors at first help the Lady Golden Arrows take a 1-0 edge.
Pea Ridge answered with a 3-run first. Morgan Marble socked a double to deep left and scored on a looping single to center by Kayla Bangs.
Jessica Small reached on an error at third and Jenny Small whacked a 2-run single to center for a 3-1 Pea Ridge pad.
Jill Ramsey's RBI double to deep left in the fourth cut the gap to 3-2 for Lavaca.
Pea Ridge tacked on an insurance tally in the fifth. An error and walk combined with a sacrifice fly in right to put runners on second and third. Jessica Small rolled an infield single in front of short to push the difference to 4-2.
Cedarville 3 Lincoln 1 Cedarville held Lincoln scoreless through six frames and coasted to a 3-1 win.
Cedarville took a 3-0 lead in the third. Chelsea Murphy and Brittany Tipton flogged back-to-back RBI singles and Stacie Belcher clubbed an RBI double.
Lincoln's Cassidy Fr y bopped an RBI single in the seventh but the rally fell shy.
Cedarville secures a state tournament berth with the win. Jordan Murphy allowed 1 run on 4 hits to collect the win for the Lady Pirates.
Charleston 10 West Fork 0 The top-seeded Charleston Lady Tigers proved the better cat in a 10-0, run-rule win over West Fork.
Charleston broke open a 1-0 lead with 5 runs in the fourth and 4 tallies in the fifth to invoke the run-rule.
Ashley Story held West Fork to just four hits. West Fork's Rachel Risley, Lakin Burnett and Christy Fraley each had hits. But Story fanned 7 and held West Fork scoreless.
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