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Hernando Today

Fellman Foils Shark Win Skein

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By TONY CASTRO SPORTS EDITOR

Hernando Today

Published: February 24, 2008

BROOKSVILLE – Buccaneer senior catcher Devin Fellman went 3-for-4 and drove in a game-high four runs, including a clutch bases-loaded, three-run double in the seventh inning Tuesday night propelling visiting Gulf High to a come-from-behind win over Nature Coast Technical, 6-4.
For a NCT program that entered the season with its longest win streak at two games, the setback snapped the Lady Sharks' (4-1 overall, 3-1 4A-8) best-ever start.
The loss was also the Sharks' seventh straight to the Buccaneers across four seasons. In the process, the New Port Richey team has outscored the Brooksville nine, 77-24 lifetime.
Despite the setback, NCT's first-year Head Coach Mettina Maggiore did not pout afterward.
"We've got some things to build off of," candidly said Maggiore. "I saw some things we still need to work on like closing out games. They also took away some hits and we need to be a little more selective at the plate."
Overall impression?
"I'm not saying we gave up," indicated Maggiore, a Citrus High graduate, "but we didn't show up in that last inning like we had the whole game. Let's face it, tonight was our fifth game, there's 20 games left. We'll grow off this."
From the visiting dugout, veteran Buccaneer skipper Rick Hohenthaner had several heroes.
"I told Jami (McCullough) in the last inning, if you bunt 'em over, we'll win. She did, and we won. That's what it takes.
"Our catcher, Devin (Fellman), is a four-year starter," added Hohenthaner. "Tonight was her 87th consecutive start. She's never missed an inning of any game we've played. She went into her last at-bat very focused. She knew what I needed done in that spot."
On the ropes
The Bucs, who came in 3-3 overall and 1-2 in Class 4A, District 8 action, appeared on the ropes entering the final inning against Shark sophomore right-hander Ashley Antczak.
Antczak appeared in control mixing her rise ball and change-up to the tune of five strikeouts against one walk through six innings while stranding six enemy base runners.
Offensively, NCT rallied twice for the lead.
Fellman's first hit, an RBI single down the first-base line, scored sophomore Brittany Mayhill in the third inning, 1-0 Bucs.
NCT answered with a pair in the bottom of the third.
Antczak coaxed one of five free passes off hot-'n-cold Buc freshman right-hander Sara Hill. Courtesy runner Angie Gaffney advanced to second on a wild pitch. Catcher Jen Marshall then singled between shortstop and third.
The leftfielder, senior Amanda Gardner, however, bounced a relay throw past Fellman at the plate allowing Gaffney to skip home to tie matters on the unearned run, 1-1.
Senior Kaitlin Wadsworth followed with a screaming double to right-center plating Marshall, 2-1 Sharks.
With one out in the fifth, Gulf countered as junior shortstop Jessica Santoli lined a 0-1 Antczak offering just over the left field fence for her first homer of the season, 2-2.
"It (the homer) felt good," smiled the 16-year-old Santoli. "Before tonight, I was kinda in a slump. It was good to break out."
In the fifth, NCT retook the lead. With one out, senior Jakara Willis was hit by a pitch - Hill's second of the game. Nikki Beverley coaxed a walk before Mikayla Miller lined out to Santoli.
Here, sophomore Cera Nelson crushed the first offering to her to deep left-center plating Willis and Beverly, 4-2 Sharks.
Up to that point, the Shark defense sparkled as Marshall defused a fourth-inning rallying by throwing out pinch runner Jordyn Roberts attempting to steal third base while second baseman Lizzie Olmstead ended the inning by denying Chelsea Gorr a hit with a line drive snare to her left.
Gulf, which was successful on 33-of-35 defensive chances, hung around as Santoli threw out six runners, Gardner made a shoestring catch in the fifth off Shawnna Henry and Olmstead had a possible hit taken away on a fine running catch in the sixth inning by centerfielder Mayhill.
Complexion changes quickly
The game's complexion quickly changed in the top of the seventh against Gulf's No. 9 batter, sophomore Kayla Crawford.
Crawford reached on a little blooper behind shortstop. Santoli then pushed a ball between the pitcher's mound and beat it out for a key infield single.
Junior Jami McCullough then laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt to push both runners into scoring position.
Here, Antczak faced Mayhill, who had reached three times in three at-bats, including two hits. Antczak eventually pitched around her by walking Mayhill to load the sacks setting up a force play at any base.
The strategy backfired, however, when Fellman rammed a 0-1 pitch to the wall in left-center scoring Crawford, Santoli and Mayhill.
It didn't matter as the ensuing NCT relay cut Fellman down attempting to stretch a double into a triple for the second out.
What was Fellman's mindset?
"The bases were loaded, but I wasn't looking for a homer," recalled the 17-year-old Fellman. "I was just looking for a pitch I could drive. When I hit it, I felt the sweet spot."
Gardner then reached on an error by the rightfielder. Three pitches later, Hill cracked her second double of the game to left-center plating Gardner to seal the four-run uprising.
Hill (3-1), who scattered five hits, then went to the mound and retired the Lady Sharks in order for the first time all night, 6-4 Bucs.
How about Hill's efforts?
"Sara (Hill) always does a great job," replied Fellman. "NCT is a team we've beaten before. We knew they've gotten better, so it wasn't gonna be easy. At first, we kinda played to their level before we rallied.
"We told Sara before the last inning, just put it down the middle and trust your defense. She stays real composed out there."
According to the 15-year-old Hill, "Our defense was awesome. They backed me all night."

Gulf 6, Nature Coast 4
123 456 7 R H E
GF 001 010 4 -- 6 11 2
NCT 002 020 0 -- 4 5 2
GF - Hill and Fellman.
NCT - Antczak and Marshall.
W - Hill (3-1). L - Antczak (4-1).
2B - GF: Fellman, Hill (2); NCT: Nelson, Wadsworth.
3B - none.
HR - Santoli (GF).
Records - Gulf (4-3 overall, 2-2 4A-8), Nature Coast Technical (4-1 overall, 3-1 4A-8).

By the Numbers: NCT vs. Gulf
Gulf leads lifetime series 7-0
- Compiled by TONY CASTRO

Year Site Result
2005 Away L 5-11
2005 Home L 3-7
2006 Home L 0-19
2006 Away L 0-13
2007 Away L 10-14
2007 Home L 2-7
2008 Home L 4-6
TOTALS 24-77

2008 Nature Coast Technical Sharks Girls Softball Schedule
Head Coach: Mettina Maggiore (1st Year)
Date Opponent Site Result/Time
02-05 Hudson# Home W 12-1
02-07 The Villages Home Rain
02-08 Wiregrass Ranch# Away W 13-0
02-12 Hernando# Home Rain
02-13 Ridgewood Home W 8-3
02-15 Springstead#* Away W 2-0
02-19 Gulf# Home L 4-6
02-21 Citrus Home 5 p.m.
02-22 Zephyrhills# Home 7 p.m.
02-27 Central* Home 7 p.m.
02-28 Pasco# Away 6 p.m.
02-29 Sunlake# Away 7 p.m.
03-04 Hudson# Away 7 p.m.
03-06 Ridgewood Away 6 p.m.
03-07 Wiregrass Ranch# Home 7 p.m.
03-11 Hernando#* Away 7 p.m.
03-13 Springstead#* Home 7 p.m.
03-14 Gulf# Away 7 p.m.
03-25 Zephyrhills# Away 7 p.m.
03-26 Lecanto Home 7 p.m.
03-28 Central* Away 7 p.m.
04-01 Pasco# Home 6 p.m.
04-04 Sunlake# Home 7 p.m.
04-07 Lecanto Away 7 p.m.
04-08 Citrus Away 6:30 p.m.
04-14 4A-8 Tourney Away TBA
TOTALS 39-10
# Denotes 4A-8 game
* Denotes HCAC game

Sports Editor Tony Castro can be reached at (352) 544-5278 or online at acastro@hernandotoday.com

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