TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Hernando Today

Hernando Falls To Wiregrass Ranch, 8-2

SOFTBALL

ADVERTISEMENT

By CHRIS BERNHARDT JR.

Hernando Today

Published: March 27, 2009

BROOKSVILLE - Last time Hernando and Wiregrass Ranch locked up, it resulted in a wild 18-14 contest eventually claimed by the host Lady Bulls.

The rematch of that March 3 game, played Friday night at Tom Varn Stadium, took on a decidedly different tone, at least for one team.

Wiregrass Ranch looked crisp, taking advantage of Lady Leopard mistakes while playing flawless defense en route to a key Class 4A, District 8 victory, 8-2.

"I think the difference was defensively we showed up tonight," Wiregrass Ranch Head Coach Amy Lipovetsky said. "We didn't let anything get by us."

"We did this the last time we played them," Hernando Head Coach Kevin Bittinger said. "We didn't make plays on defense and we didn't get ahead in the count. When you're forced to throw fastballs, good hitters stay good and you make bad hitters look great."

Opening surge

The Lady Bulls (11-8 overall, 9-6 4A-8) sent 10 batters to the plate in a four-run top of the first inning that set the tone.

With one out, Mary Sorgenfrei, Taylor Mellow and Regan Knapik strung together consecutive singles to load the bases.

Casey Raza hit a grounder to short that easily scored the first run, and Mellow came around as well on a low throw that got away from the first baseman.

Another error made it 3-0 and Cailtyn Morehouse grounded a RBI single into right field.

Shelby Stocker, who went 3-for-3 at the plate, tripled to lead off the bottom of the second for Hernando, and scored on Sarah Whealdon's fly out to left.

Yet the Lady Bulls pounced for three in the third, receiving a run-scoring double off the bat of Julie Gould and a two-run single by Sorgenfrei.

Erica Maldonado lined a home run over the wall in left in the fourth, but no Lady Leopard got farther than second base the rest of the way.

"We had a great game," Lipovetsky said. "Defensively we didn't have one error and offensively I think every person got a hit tonight. We showed up on both sides of the field.

"We've had a good week. We mercy-ruled two teams this week. We came out hard tonight and the bats were definitely alive."

One source of praise for Bittinger was the relief work of Stephanie Sinwelski. She tossed the final four innings allowing two hits and an unearned run thanks to two errors in the seventh.

"Our defense tends to play as well as the pitchers throw," Bittinger said. "When our pitchers are getting ahead, the defense responds. When they're not, the defense doesn't seem to pick it up. It's something we need to work on as a team and we're running out of time.

"But don't get me wrong, we have plenty of time to fix it. This will be a team to be reckoned with at districts. But we need to work out our issues.

"I have a lot of confidence in this team. A lot of people don't seem to give us the respect we think we deserve and it's up to us to earn it."

WIREGRASS RANCH 8, HERNANDO 2
123 456 7 R H E
WGR 403 000 1 -- 8 11 0
HER 010 100 0 -- 2 6 4
WGR – Sorgenfrei and Raza, C. McCaffrey (5).
HER – Bilodeau, Sinwelski (4) and Platt.
W – Sorgenfrei (10-5). L – Bilodeau (4-4).
2B – Gould, Sorgenfrei (WGR).
3B – Stocker (HER).
HR – E. Maldonado (HER).
Records – Wiregrass Ranch (11-8 overall, 9-6 4A-8), Hernando (9-10 overall, 5-8 4A-8).

Sports writer Chris Bernhardt Jr. can be reached at 352-544-5288 or cbernhardt@hernandotoday.com.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT