Source: Greene County Daily World
Monday, May 29, 2009
The Linton-Stockton softball team made sure there would be no need for late inning dramatics, as they scored two runs in the opening inning, and cruised to a 5-0 win to capture the
The Linton-Stockton softball team pose with the Class 2A sectional championship trophy after defeating Bloomfield here, 5-0 Friday night.
Class 2A South Knox Sectional championship over defending champion Bloomfield here Friday night.
In their semifinal win over South Knox Tuesday, the Lady Miners rallied from a two-run deficit in their final two at bats. Friday night they tacked on three insurance runs in the fifth inning to secure the win.
“We have stressed the importance to the girls all week to jump out to a quick start,” Lady Miners head coach Jill Flater said. “We did not do that against South Knox, but you could tell the girls were confident at the plate tonight.”
Lead-off hitter, Savannah Mason had the signature at-bat of the night to start the game. The sophomore battled Bloomfield ace Shelby Gott by fouling off pitch after pitch with two strikes. Mason finally was able to put a ball in play with a double just past the outstretched arms of center fielder Ariel Fuller. Darien Huffman followed with a bunt single, and Stephanie Fougerousse drew an intentional-unintentional walk to load the bases.
Taneal Church then followed Mason’s act by fouling off a few pitches and worked the count full before lining a base hit through the drawn-in Cardinal infield to plate the first two runs.
“I was really nervous before the at-bat,” Church admitted. “I was moved up to the No. 4 spot and I just didn’t want to mess up.”
Church was placed in the clean-up spot in the order because Katie West had left for a mission trip to Jamaica after the Miners win over South Knox.
“Taneal has been solid for us all season and we had 100 percent faith in her to step up into the No. 4 hole for us tonight,” Flater said. “She did an absolute great job and made things happen tonight.”
Fougerousse added an RBI single in the fifth inning, moved to second on an error and another Cardinal error later on in the inning allowed the final two Miner runs to score for the final outcome.
“I really thought this would be a closer game tonight,” Cardinals head coach Jessica Lauderdale said. “But you have to give Linton credit, they came out of the gate hitting tonight and we didn’t.”
Even after the top of the first inning, Lauderdale said she was not nervous.
Linton-Stockton seniors (from left) Brittany Rehmel, Cortney Astleford, Izzy Carpenter and Taneal Church pose with the sectional championship trophy Friday night.
“We did not get off to a good start giving up the two runs, I still felt comfortable,” she said. “Then they scored the three runs in the fifth inning and I knew it would be a tough hole to climb out of.”
Gott allowed eight hits in her seven innings of work, walked two batters and had nine punchouts. Her counterpart, Fougerousse, fanned eight while walking just one and gave up just two hits.
Lady Miner senior Cortney Astleford, who had been injured all season, made her season debut by pinch hitting in the sixth inning. Flater said she was glad that Astleford got to be a part of the win.
“I am happy for our seniors,” Flater said. “And especially for Cortney. She has worked hard to get back here to play in her first game of the season. I am proud of them all. Our four seniors (Astleford, Church, Izzy Carpenter and Brittany Rehmel) started their careers off with a sectional title their freshman year and now get to finish it with another title their senior season.”
Carpenter expressed her feelings about her second sectional title.
“This is the best feeling in the world,” she said. “We have worked so hard to get here. I am real excited and we will celebrate for a couple of days then it’s back to work next week.”
She mentioned with the early lead she didn’t want to jinx the team by thinking they had won and the third out in the seventh inning couldn’t come soon enough.
“I did not want to get our hopes up after we had the early lead,” Carpenter said. “And with every pitch and out in the seventh inning I just kept getting more and more excited.”
Church was also nearly at a loss for words.
“I am a little overwhelmed right now,” she said. “I am excited and still in shock a little. This is just amazing, there are no other words to describe this.”
Bloomfield finished the season with a record of 15-9. Gott finished her junior season with a 14-7.
“I am proud of the girls,” Lauderdale said. “They have all played great throughout. They (Linton-Stockton) really wanted it tonight and I wish them luck in the regional.”
The Miners, winners of 13 in a row will carry an overall record of 18-5 into the Forest Park Regional on Saturday, June 6. The Miners will face the Tri-West Sectional champion at 1 p.m.
“We had the toughest road in this sectional,” Flater said. “Not many people picked us to get past a very tough South Knox team. This is a great feeling, the girls are very deserving and this has been the goal all season.
“We are just going to go to Forest Park and focus on what we do best and not worry too much about what our opponent does.”
Friday
Class 2A Championship
at South Knox
Linton-Stockton 200 030 0 — 5 8 1
Bloomfield 000 000 0 — 0 2 3
Stephanie Fougerousse and Hali Murray; Shelby Gott and Holly Zschiedrich. W — Fougerousse, 14-1. L — Gott, 14-7. 2B — Savannah Mason (L), Izzy Carpenter (L), Jenica Ringo (L).
