3A Softball - Independent’s season ends with first loss
Saturday, May 24th, 2008Didn’t get a chance to live blog, but here’s what you missed in detail:
1st Inning - TMP 0, Independent 0
Top - Independent starting pitcher Erin Tuttle retired TMP’s first batter but walked the next two. After a short delay — first baseman MattieMae Milligan had a glove issue — Tuttle got MaKenzie Altman to send a hard grounder to third, where Sandy Eaton picked it up, stepped on the bag and threw to first for the inning-ending double play.
Bottom - Haley McGregor led off the inning by lofting a soft single just over the first baseman. She was advanced over to second on a Milligan bunt but was tagged out a play late by shortstop Maddie Holub between second and third on Rachel Damiris’ sharp grounder. The short-lived threat ended there, as Cheyenne Stewart grounded out to second to end the inning.
2nd Inning - TMP 0, Independent 0
Top - A base-running miscue might have cost TMP a run. After Alicia Hammeke beat out an infield single, Jessa Stramel appeared to have successfully executed a sac bunt to move Hammeke over to second. However, by the time Tuttle threw to first to complete the out, Hammeke had drifted too far from second and was tagged out on Milligan’s heads-up throw to second. Maddy Mall’s single on TMP’s next plate appearance may very well have scored Hammeke from second. As it was, the inning ended on Tuttle’s strikeout of Kelsey Flax.
Bottom - Monarch starter Kaylee Hoffman pitched the inning of the tournament. She struck out the side on 10 pitches.
3rd Inning - TMP 0, Independent 0
Top - Tuttle worked another impressive inning, retiring the Monarchs in order. Her breath had to catch for a second, though, when Chelsea Fieler lifted a high drive to left. The ball sent left fielder Kacey Eaton back pedaling. No problem. She reached up on her tiptoes and snagged it for the final out.
Bottom - Kacey Eaton got paid back for her nice over-head catch to end the top half of the inning. She sent a hard grounder through the first-and-second base hole, only to see the right fielder snatch it up and fire it to first for just your everyday 9-3 putout. McGregor got her second (and the team’s second) base hit, beating out an infield single. She promptly stole second, but Milligan’s strikeout ended the inning with no damage done.
4th Inning - TMP 0, Independent 0
Top - Crazy little half inning. TMP loaded the bases with one out, thanks in part to a Panther throwing error. Then play abruptly stopped, and a fan (we think) was told by the home plate umpire to “…hit the parking lot, and hit it quick.” Independent coach Corey Lyon then gathered his players in the circle and replaced Tuttle with Stewart, as he has in the previous two games of the tournament. Stewart, as she was in those two previous games, was great. She got Mall to send a grounder to short, where McGregor picked it up and threw home for the second out. Stewart then struck out Flax for the final out. An impressive escape by the Panthers.
Bottom - Hoffman continued her onslaught on the bottom 8/9 of the the Independent lineup, getting two ground outs and a nice running catch from her center fielder to work her second 1-2-3 inning.
5th Inning - TMP 0, Independent 0
Top - Then things went from crazy to bizarre. With runners on second and third, Holub lined a solid single to center. The base hit easily scored Heidi Fieler from third. From second and around third, Hoffman tried to score but looked to be thrown out at the plate by center fielder K. Eaton. However, after only a brief deliberation, the first base umpire ruled that McGregor, the shortstop, had blocked Hoffman’s route on the base path. Meaning Hoffman’s run counted. This infuriated Lyon, who went into the infield and discussed the situation with the umpires for several minutes. The argument calmed briefly until Lyon attempted to get in the final word, at which point he was ejected by the first base umpire. Lyon huddled his team up a final time then left the field with his team down 2-0. Stewart got a strike out and a ground out to prevent further damage.
Bottom - Hoffman wasn’t thrown off my being the center of the controversial play in the top of the inning. She cruised through Independent 1-2-3 again.
6th Inning - TMP 2, Independent 0
Top - Stewart worked her first 1-2-3 inning, getting a strikeout and two fly outs out of the Monarchs 6, 7 and 8 hitters.
Bottom - McGregor improved to a perfect 3-for-3 against Hoffman after another base hit. Unfortunately for the Panthers, the other eight players are hitless. McGregor never left first base after the one-out single.
7th Inning - TMP 2, Independent 0
Top - Heidi Fieler got her second infield single of the day, but TMP came up empty on trying to get the insurance run across. Fieler was forced out at second on a fielder’s choice, and Hoffman took over first. She advanced to second, but no further, as Stewart got the final two outs of the inning.
Bottom - Independent’s undefeated season and state title hopes ended, mostly because of the powerful left arm of Kaylee Hoffman, who gave up four hits on the day and struck out 10, including three of the final four Independent batters. Sam Eklund gave the Panthers hope for a last-ditch rally by lacing a double to center, but Hoffman got Tuttle to strike out to end it.
