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'Bama Bops Hernando Debs, 4-3

Photo by JOE DiCRISTOFALO

Hernando Debs Head Coach Paul Sinwelski watched his team drop is second 1-run loss during the Dixie Youth League World Series in Alexandria, La.

By MARTY MILLER

Hernando Today correspondent

Published: August 4, 2008

Earlier in July, the Hernando Debs (ages 16-18) Dixie League won their state championship and did not give up a single run.
But this week in the Dixie Youth League Softball World Series held in Louisiana, things did not work out quite as well for Head Coach Paul Sinwelski and his club.
After going 1-1 in their opening two games of the tournament, Hernando gave up a run in the bottom of the seventh inning Monday night to lose to Alabama 4-3 and be eliminated from the tournament.
"It started out as one of the best games we played here," said Sinwelski. "We scored a run in the first and then Mary Ellen Langley hit a two-run homer in the fourth and we led 3-1 going into the sixth.
It was then that the Hernando club ran into trouble as Alabama scored two runs in the sixth to tie the score.
Then in the seventh, Ashley Vandiver scored on an RBI single by Emily Roden to give the 'Bama club the win and send Hernando home.
The Debs team, which last year lost its opening game of the World Series before coming back and playing into the title game, dropped a pair of one-run games this year.
"They sure could have gone either way," said Sinwelski about his team's losses. "You know, last year we lost our first game by over 10 runs and then in the title game against South Carolina, we lost by 10 runs in five innings."
"I think we were as good as anybody here," Sinwelski added. "It's a shame we got into the loser's bracket and then lost a one-run game because these girls played excellent softball."
Hernando lost its opening game of the tournament to Alexandria, La., 7-6, and then came back Sunday to beat North Carolina 7-3.
Sinwelski also said that he had so many players do well either pitching, hitting or on defense.
"Overall we did a good job," he stressed. "We scored 16 runs in three games and we made some great plays in the field and for the most part our pitching was great."