July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
Highland tops JCHS in extras (05/08/06)
JCHS softball
Highland tops JCHS in extras (05/08/06)
By By RAY COONEY-
Jay County hoped to have a chance to win the conference championship. They did.
The Patriots, the host and No. 2 seed, took the top-seeded Anderson Highland Scots to extra innings Saturday only to drop the Olympic Athletic Conference championship game 6-5.
Jay County made the finals with an 8-7, comeback win over Connersville while Highland defeated Muncie Southside in the opening game of the day.
“They never quit,” said JCHS coach Jack Wood, whose team trailed 7-0 in the opener. “The first game with Connersville we dug ourselves a deep hole and didn’t play very well defensively. We battled back, stayed in it, kept their heads in it and came back and got that one.
“It was the same thing tonight. We dug ourselves a little bit of a hole, battled back and then ended up having a couple more errors ...
“It doesn’t take much to have a team capitalize. That’s what happened. They took advantage of our mistakes and just beat us.”
The first three runs for Highland (12-4) were unearned, but the Patriots rallied to take a 5-3 lead. The Scots pulled even in the bottom of the sixth, then took the game in the eighth after Jay County went down one-two-three in the top.
Katie Scott, the Highland leadoff hitter, opened the eighth inning with a bunt single. She then moved all the way to third base on a controversial bunt single from Whitney Hoffman.
Jay County coaches and fans thought Hoffman ran into the ball in fair territory, which would have resulted in an out, but did not get the call.
With runners on the corners Stormy Holder hit a fly ball to center field. Saffron Redwine made the catch, but was too deep to have any chance to throw Hoffman out at the plate.
“We’ve beaten a lot of teams a lot of different ways, but this is the first time we’ve done it this way, in extra innings,” said Highland coach Doug Holder, whose daughter turned in the winning RBI. “We’re very, very happy. Jay County is a very good ball club.”
The Patriots (11-9) had plenty of offense in the fourth and fifth innings with three hits in each. They scored all of their first runs in those two frames.
Morgan Locke had a two-run double in the fourth to bring home Amber Champ and Trisha Champ, who got on base by way of a walk and a single respectively. Locke then scored on an RBI single from Redwine.
Amber Champ walked and Trisha Champ singled again in the fifth inning, then both came in on a single from Chelsea DeBoy.
But the hits disappeared after the fifth. Highland pitcher Laura Williamson retired nine of the final 10 batters she faced, allowing only a single to Amber Champ over the last three innings.
The Scots, on the other hand, got half of their hits in the final three innings. Scott finished 3-for-4 with two runs, including the game winner, and an RBI. Holder and Williamson each had two hits, a run and an RBI, and No. 9 hitter Kasey Herrington also drove in a run.
“It just took everybody all the way up and down the lineup,” said Holder. “It was a team effort.”
Trisha Champ finished with two hits and two runs, and DeBoy had two hits and two RBIs. Locke drove in a pair of runs with her double, which was the lone extra-base hit for the Patriots, and Amber Champ scored twice.
Shae Keller went the distance in both Jay County games. Half of the runs Highland scored against her were unearned as she allowed 12 hits and two walks in 71/3 innings. She struck out three batters.
“Shae Keller was just outstanding on the mound,” said Wood. “She went both games, 15 innings. She showed just a tremendous amount of heart there.”
Jay Co. 8, Connersville 7
The Patriots gave up six runs in the third inning to fall behind 7-0, but rallied to reach the OAC title game with an 8-7 victory over the Connersville Spartans.
Jay County cut the deficit with three runs in the bottom of the third, then scored five times in the fifth to pull ahead.
Keller paced the offense with a double, two runs and an RBI. Locke was 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI, and Amber Champ had a single, a run and two RBIs.
Trisha Champ and Miranda Betz drove in one run apiece.
Keller earned the win, allowing seven runs — four earned — on six hits and three walks. She struck out six batters.[[In-content Ad]]
The Patriots, the host and No. 2 seed, took the top-seeded Anderson Highland Scots to extra innings Saturday only to drop the Olympic Athletic Conference championship game 6-5.
Jay County made the finals with an 8-7, comeback win over Connersville while Highland defeated Muncie Southside in the opening game of the day.
“They never quit,” said JCHS coach Jack Wood, whose team trailed 7-0 in the opener. “The first game with Connersville we dug ourselves a deep hole and didn’t play very well defensively. We battled back, stayed in it, kept their heads in it and came back and got that one.
“It was the same thing tonight. We dug ourselves a little bit of a hole, battled back and then ended up having a couple more errors ...
“It doesn’t take much to have a team capitalize. That’s what happened. They took advantage of our mistakes and just beat us.”
The first three runs for Highland (12-4) were unearned, but the Patriots rallied to take a 5-3 lead. The Scots pulled even in the bottom of the sixth, then took the game in the eighth after Jay County went down one-two-three in the top.
Katie Scott, the Highland leadoff hitter, opened the eighth inning with a bunt single. She then moved all the way to third base on a controversial bunt single from Whitney Hoffman.
Jay County coaches and fans thought Hoffman ran into the ball in fair territory, which would have resulted in an out, but did not get the call.
With runners on the corners Stormy Holder hit a fly ball to center field. Saffron Redwine made the catch, but was too deep to have any chance to throw Hoffman out at the plate.
“We’ve beaten a lot of teams a lot of different ways, but this is the first time we’ve done it this way, in extra innings,” said Highland coach Doug Holder, whose daughter turned in the winning RBI. “We’re very, very happy. Jay County is a very good ball club.”
The Patriots (11-9) had plenty of offense in the fourth and fifth innings with three hits in each. They scored all of their first runs in those two frames.
Morgan Locke had a two-run double in the fourth to bring home Amber Champ and Trisha Champ, who got on base by way of a walk and a single respectively. Locke then scored on an RBI single from Redwine.
Amber Champ walked and Trisha Champ singled again in the fifth inning, then both came in on a single from Chelsea DeBoy.
But the hits disappeared after the fifth. Highland pitcher Laura Williamson retired nine of the final 10 batters she faced, allowing only a single to Amber Champ over the last three innings.
The Scots, on the other hand, got half of their hits in the final three innings. Scott finished 3-for-4 with two runs, including the game winner, and an RBI. Holder and Williamson each had two hits, a run and an RBI, and No. 9 hitter Kasey Herrington also drove in a run.
“It just took everybody all the way up and down the lineup,” said Holder. “It was a team effort.”
Trisha Champ finished with two hits and two runs, and DeBoy had two hits and two RBIs. Locke drove in a pair of runs with her double, which was the lone extra-base hit for the Patriots, and Amber Champ scored twice.
Shae Keller went the distance in both Jay County games. Half of the runs Highland scored against her were unearned as she allowed 12 hits and two walks in 71/3 innings. She struck out three batters.
“Shae Keller was just outstanding on the mound,” said Wood. “She went both games, 15 innings. She showed just a tremendous amount of heart there.”
Jay Co. 8, Connersville 7
The Patriots gave up six runs in the third inning to fall behind 7-0, but rallied to reach the OAC title game with an 8-7 victory over the Connersville Spartans.
Jay County cut the deficit with three runs in the bottom of the third, then scored five times in the fifth to pull ahead.
Keller paced the offense with a double, two runs and an RBI. Locke was 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI, and Amber Champ had a single, a run and two RBIs.
Trisha Champ and Miranda Betz drove in one run apiece.
Keller earned the win, allowing seven runs — four earned — on six hits and three walks. She struck out six batters.[[In-content Ad]]
Top Stories
9/11 NEVER FORGET Mobile Exhibit
Chartwells marketing
September 17, 2024 7:36 a.m.
Events
250 X 250 AD