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Hernando Today

Stahl Extinguishes Lady Bears

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By TONY CASTRO SPORTS EDITOR

Hernando Today

Published: February 24, 2008

BROOKSVILLE – In the hotel industry, it's all about location, location, location.
In prep sports, the buzz word is consistency.
That's exactly what first-year Central High Head Coach Tyson Ellis is seeking from his young and inexperienced softball team.
To date, the lack of consistency has troubled Coach Ellis.
After dropping the season opener to Hernando, 13-1, the Lady Bears bounced back with a pair of wins over Clearwater Central Catholic (9-2) and Class 5A, District 7 foe Wesley Chapel (8-7).
Then Friday night at Bears' Park, CHS was tattooed by 5A-7 rival Ridgewood, 18-4.
So entering Wednesday night's meeting against three-time state runner-up New Port Richey-River Ridge, the Bears believed they'd use that game as a barometer to measure where they stood.
After spotting the Royal Knights single runs in the first two innings, CHS tied matters with a pair of unearned runs off freshman right-hander Ana Alberti.
In her first-ever varsity appearance, however, Alberti struggled with her command. She did not allow any hits, struck out two but issued five walks, hurled a wild pitch and was called for an illegal pitch (softball's version of a balk).
With two runs in and Bear runners at the corners with two outs in the bottom of the second, veteran Royal Knights skipper Ernie Beck had seen enough and opted for junior right-hander Sam Stahl.
Stahl immediately restored order and stability by enticing clean-up batter Brittany Rudy into a harmless inning-ending fly out.
Over the next three innings, Stahl faced 11 batters, allowing Central's lone hit -- an infield single by freshman McKenzie Burns -- while recording five strikeouts and permitting one free pass.
Just as important, her teammates paraded 13 batters to the plate in a nine-run third inning to help solve Central via the 10-run mercy rule in five innings, 12-2.
The 5A-7 triumph improved River Ridge to 4-0 overall and 3-0 in district action while CHS dipped to 2-3 overall, 1-2 in 5A-7.
The win was also River Ridge's eighth straight over the Lady Bears since 2002. In that stretch, RRHS has outscored Central, 89-19.

Coaches speak

Afterward, Coach Beck did not chastise Alberti for not getting out of the second inning.
"We've got several freshmen. I don't pay attention to what grade the kids are in. If they're on the team, they're gonna play," indicated Beck. "She'll (Alberti) do OK. She just needs to relax. Maybe she was nervous. But you never know in this game when we may need an extra pitcher, so they've got to get some time at this level."
His first impressions of Central?
"They're a good, little ball club," said Beck. "We stung the ball. What'd we get 14 hits? And they made some plays. Sure they kicked a few in the third, but I think they'll be fine. They've just gotta keep working at it."
From the home dugout, Coach Ellis preached about the lack of consistency.
"For two innings we're right there," he said. "That's a good team we played and we tied it up and had runners on. But the next inning, we don't make a couple of plays on defense and the inning gets extended and they score nine.
"Bottom line, we've gotta make routine plays," he insisted. "The key is we're not consistent. We make a play here and there. But you've gotta make the routine plays to stay in games."

Royal Knight heroes

Stahl, who climbed to 3-0, was one of eight Royal Knights to collect a hit against starter/loser Samantha Berberette and reliever McKenzie Burns.
"I just wanted to throw strikes," shared the 16-year-old Stahl. "I've got a good team behind me. Tonight was a district win and maybe we needed to work a little harder to get ready for Gulf."
Berberette (2-2) hurled the first three frames permitting 11 hits and two walks. Burns worked the last two frames allowing three singles and one unearned run.
At the plate, Royal Knight senior Michelle McKonly went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and collected two runs batted in. McKonly had an RBI single in the first inning and rapped a pair of singles in the pivotal nine-run third frame.
"Last year, I had a pretty good season hitting-wise," said the 18-year-old McKonly. "I came in a little frustrated. I need to have more patience, especially against slower pitching like we saw tonight. Usually the first at-bat I do horrible and then I get better.
Junior Jessica Tamburri joined Alberti, Sarah Simon and Madison Morris with two hits apiece.
Tamburri began the key third-inning rally with sacrifice fly to right and plated the final two runs with a two-run double to right-center.
"Tonight was big because it gets us ready for our next game against Gulf," said the 16-year-old Tamburri. "So far, we've been pretty dominant early on in our first few games."
How'd she think she swung the bat?
"Compared to last year," shrugged Tamburri, "I'm not swinging the bat as well as I did."

River Ridge 12, Central 2 (5 Inns.)
123 45 R H E
RR 119 01 -- 12 14 2
CEN 020 00 -- 2 1 5
RR - Alberti, Stahl (2) and Simon.
CEN - Berberette, Burns (4) and Rudy.
W - Stahl (3-0). L - Berberette (2-2).
2B - Tamburri (RR).
Records - River Ridge (4-0 overall, 3-0 5A-7), Central (2-3 overall, 1-2 5A-7).

By the Numbers: Central vs. River Ridge
River Ridge leads series 8-0
- Compiled by TONY CASTRO

Year Site Result
2002 Away L 2-4
2004 Away L 0-3
2006 Home L 5-16
2006 Away L 1-11
2007 Away L 4-14
2007 Home L 1-15
2007 Away L 4-14
2008 Home L 2-12
TOTALS 19-89

2008 Central Bears Girls Softball Schedule
Head Coach - Tyson Ellis (1st Year)
Date Opponent Site Result/Time
02-06 Hernando* Home L 1-13
02-08 Clearwater Central Catholic Home W 9-2
02-11 Wesley Chapel# Home W 8-7
02-15 Ridgewood# Home L 4-18 (5 Inns.)
02-20 River Ridge# Home L 2-12 (5 Inns.)
02-22 Springstead* Away 7 p.m.
02-25 Land O'Lakes# Away 7 p.m.
02-27 Nature Coast* Away 7 p.m.
03-03 Hernando* Away 7 p.m.
03-05 Ridgewood# Away 7 p.m.
03-07 Wesley Chapel# Away 7 p.m.
03-14 Lecanto Away 7 p.m.
03-24 Land O'Lakes# Home 7 p.m.
03-28 Nature Coast* Home 7 p.m.
03-31 River Ridge# Away 7 p.m.
04-02 Citrus Home 5 p.m.
04-04 Crystal River Away 6:30 p.m.
04-10 Springstead* Home 7 p.m.
04-14 5A-7 Tourney Away TBA
TOTALS 24-52
# Denotes 5A-7 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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