Tribune photo by John Byrne - The softball squirts out of the glove of Spanish Springs outfielder Ashley Collier after the senior tried to make a diving snag in a 6-1 playoff win over Reno Friday.
“Our kids intensity was just tremendous,” Spanish Springs coach Jeff Davidson said. “Different people stepped up. It took a total team effort.”
Reno and Reed will meet at 10 a.m. in a loser-out game. The winner will then advance to play Spanish Springs and would have to beat the Cougars twice to capture the North’s lone berth into next week’s state tournament in Las Vegas.
Reno struck first Friday against Spanish Springs, putting up a second-inning run for a 1-0 lead. Huskies No. 9 hitter Lydia Valencia singled and scored after a single by Hayley Medeiros, a passed ball and a Sam Puzey sacrifice fly.
Unfortunately for RHS fans, that’s all the offense their beloved Huskies could muster. Reno managed just three baserunners in the final five frames against Spanish Springs ace right-hander Karyln Jones, who recorded her third complete game in a 30-hour span.
Jones limited Reno to five hits in a seven-strikeout, no-walk outing.
“She has tremendous intensity,” Davidson said of his junior hurler. “She’s a competitor and she was just really focused. You could see it in her eyes. She hit her spots, worked in and out and just did a great job.”
Spanish Springs knotted the game at 1-1 in the third inning after Karly Hall dropped a bloop double between a pair of Reno outfielders and scored after a groundout and a Reno error.
An inning later, the Cougars took a 2-1 lead. Ashley Collier singled, moved to second on a Danica Arterburn sacrifice bunt. Morgan Frey followed and reached safely when a bad flip throw after a routine groundball was not caught at first base.. The miscue moved Collier to third and Sydney Darby brought Collier plateward on an RBI groundout.
“If we can make a few plays, it’s a totally different game,” Reno coach Jim Pace said. “When you give a good team extra outs, you cut your own throat.”
Spanish Springs, which beat Douglas 6-0 earlier in the day Friday, broke the game open with a four-run sixth inning. Jones walked. Her courtesy runner Dani Smith was sacrificed to second by Collier and she moved to third on a passed ball. Frey proceeded to plate Smith with an RBI single. Sydney Darby kept the inning going with a two-out single and Courtney Darby cleared the bases with a deep home run that was deposited well beyond the fence in right-center field. The blast left the SSHS nine with the final 6-1 margin.
Not only did the three-run round tripper give Spanish Springs some breathing room, it may also help Darby sleep a little better. The Cougars' senior first baseman had been in the midst of a 3-for-30 slump over the past three weeks. Davidson called timeout before Darby stepped in and had a brief talk with his senior. It seemed to help.
“You can feel a lot of pressure from your coach when you step up to bat. When he took some extra time and talked to me, that helped,” Darby said.. “It really made me feel comfortable. Right when it hit the bat, I knew it felt good.”
Jones went back to the circle in the top of the seventh, retiring the Huskies in order and securing the playoff win for the Purple and Teal.
”This tournament is not over,” Davidson said. “Whoever we meet in the championship game, Reed or Reno, will be tough. But you always want to be in this position (undefeated in a double-elimination tournament). Still, we won’t take anything for granted. We’ll have to play well to win.”
Post a Comment