Division II softball Sectional Clinton-Massie 6, Talawanda 5
Clinton-Massie holds off Braves in extra innings
Talawanda had chance to win game in the 7th, but runner was left stranded on second.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
OXFORD — There were tears in the Talawanda High School dugout. It had been so close to being a happy ending.
There was the play at the plate. Out. There was the ball that was clobbered to center field. Out. And finally, there was the shallow pop fly which looked like it might fall to the ground. Out.
Extras
The Clinton-Massie Falcons hung on for a 6-5 victory in eight innings over the Braves in the first round of the Division II sectional tournament Tuesday, May 13, at THS.
"It was a tough loss," Talawanda coach Melissa Metzger said. "There were so many what-ifs, things we think are supposed to happen."
But the Braves, having rallied from a 4-1 deficit to send the game to extra innings, finished their season at 10-15.
It came down to defense. The Falcons made the plays. The Braves made six errors.
"Errors, unfortunately, have been an epidemic for us," Metzger said.
The Braves also struggled at the plate, at first. Falcons pitcher Katie Myers took a no-hitter and a 4-1 lead into the bottom of the fifth inning.
That's when THS came to life. Jessica Breehne broke up the no-hit bid with a lead-off single, Chelsea Scott drew a two-out walk, Kaitlyn Fields reached on an error which allowed Breehne to score and Scott came across on a single by Ashlie Villarreal.
Kathie Oberer, a courtesy runner for Fields, also tried to score on Villarreal's single but was tagged out at the plate on a strong throw from left fielder Courtney Duncan.
"It was a risk worth taking," Metzger said. "They had to make the perfect play."
The Braves did tie the score in the sixth with the help of Alicia Kimball's double and then almost won the game in the seventh. Shelby Colyer led off with a single and stole second, and then Fields hit a bullet. It went right to the center fielder. Eventually Colyer was stranded at second.
After the Falcons scored twice in the top of the eighth, the Braves cut the lead in half with a two-out, run-scoring single by Stacey Garland. But then, with runners on second and third, Colyer hit a blooper that didn't quite get over the head of shortstop Stacy Lunsford, who raced back and made an awkward catch.
