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Golden Eagles Tame Bobcats in Curtain Call, 21-15

MIDDLE SCHOOL SOFTBALL

Photo by JOE DiCRISTOFALO

West Hernando shortstop Rhy Venturella is tagged out at home by Explorer catcher Brittny Desmond Tuesday afternoon in Spring Hill. In the bottom of the first inning, Venturella suffered a severe knee injury and was removed from the field by paramedics on a stretcher.

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By TONY CASTRO SPORTS EDITOR

Hernando Today

Published: March 17, 2009

SPRING HILL - Seldom are two teams ever pleased with their end-of-year performances.
But such was the case in Tuesday afternoon's Hernando County Middle School Athletic Conference softball finale as both West Hernando and host Explorer K-8 praised their team's efforts.
In a 3-hour contest, West Hernando (4-6 overall) survived a season-high 15-hit Bobcat attack, to edge Explorer K-8 (1-9 overall), 21-15.
This one was a far cry from Feb. 26's tidy 9-5 triumph by host West Hernando.

Sudden impact

The game started on the wrong footing as West Hernando lost its starting shortstop, Rhy Venturella, to a severe knee injury.
With the Golden Eagles up 2-0 after their initial at-bat, Hannah Charlwood led off the Bobcat first inning with a leadoff single.
On the next pitch, she attempted to steal second base but got tangled up with Venturella on the throw to the second base. On contact, Venturella's knee seemed to buckle.
After a nearly 40-minute delay, Spring Hill Fire Rescue removed Venturella on a stretcher. No further updates were available on her condition at press time.
Charlwood eventually scored on a wild pitch off starting and winning pitcher Allison Lucky. That would be as close the first-year team would get.
Lucky went six innings before giving way to Casey Vestula, who worked the seventh inning.
West Hernando paraded 19 batters to the plate in the second inning, scoring a season-high 14 runs in the uprising against Nakia Tyson and reliever Isabella Laughinhouse.
Rachelle McClean, who cracked a two-run single in the first inning for the Golden Eagles, walked on four pitches to drive in her third run of the game and followed with another two-run single in the second.
She added a single in the fourth to finish 3-for-5 on the day with a game-high five runs batted in.
"I saw the ball real well all day," understated the 14-year-old McClean. "I thought Allison (Lucky) did her part and we had to back her up. It's always good to win your last game."
Not that McClean was alone. Lucky helped herself with a 3-for-3 effort with two runs scored and four RBI. Lucky's two-run single in the fourth helped erect a 19-5 cushion.
"I think we really deserved to win," explained the 13-year-old Lucky. "Today, we spanked 'em. I wish we could still play. It's kinda sad that the season is over."
Katherine McCarthy tallied three runs for the visitors while Vestula, Courtney David, Rayanna Riecss and Julia Waugh each scored twice.
West Hernando Head Coach Connie Sanders thought her team played exceptionally well but did not deliver the knockout punch.
"I thought we let them get back in the game," insisted Sanders. "Our hitting has really come around at the end of the season. After we built that big lead it was like our minds went blank out there. I think we relaxed when we thought we had this game."
Regrets?
Yeah," shrugged Sanders. "We're finally playing as a team. When we're on, we're on. And when we're not, teams come back on us."

Explorer K-8: no quit

Yet despite being down by two touchdowns, the Bobcats never threw in the proverbial towel outscoring West Hernando 10-2 across the final three innings to make things interesting.
Brittny Desmond and Paige Allen paced the hosts with three hits apiece. Emma Betters and Laughinhouse each chipped in two safeties apiece.
Rather than lamenting her team's fourth straight loss, Explorer Head Coach Deb Dalton accentuated the positives.
"This was by far our best game of the season," smiled Dalton. "The kids came out and knew today wasn't for a championship or anything special. They just came out to play and have some fun and they did."
Biggest surprise?
"We hit up and down the lineup all day," she replied. "Desmond has bunted in every game. Today we turned her loose and she came through. We had several players, who hadn't hit all year, come through with big hits."
Any regrets?
"I know a lot of girls wished the season would continue," she added. "Today, you could see the talent level that's here. Like everybody else, I kinda wish it (the season) wasn't over."

West Hernando 21, Explorer K-8 15
1 2 3 456 7 R H E
WH 2(14)0 302 0 -- 21 11 3
EXP 1 4 0 062 2 -- 15 15 3
WH – Lucky, Vestula (7) and Harvey.
EXP – Tyson, Laughinhouse (2), Oliveira and Desmond.
W – Lucky. L – Tyson.
2B – Lucky (WH).
3B – Allen, Betters (EXP).
Records – West Hernando (4-6), Explorer K-8 (1-9).

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

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