HCA Extracts Revenge

BROOKSVILLE - Two years ago, Ocoee-Central Florida Christian came to Hernando Christian Academy for a regional quarterfinal and defeated the Lady Lions, 16-4.

It took some time, but HCA finally returned the favor.

On Thursday afternoon, the Lady Lions used a nine-run third inning and a combined one-hitter from Mary Ellen Langley and Meredith Hanshaw to capture a mercy-ruled shortened 11-1 victory in 4 1/2 innings.

"I think there's great satisfaction for them," HCA Head Coach Sue Murphy said. "I think anytime we beat a team that has beaten us in the past, it's always a great confidence builder and we might see them in regionals. We've toughened up our schedule this year."

This marked one of several non-conference contests aimed at preparing the Lady Lions (2-0) for regionals, where they have advanced each of the past four seasons only to lose in the first round.

Going deep enough

HCA scored once in the bottom of the first inning, on a perfectly placed RBI bunt single down the first base line by Hanshaw, and in the second on Heidi Riley's sacrifice fly.

However, the Lady Lions left five runners on base over the first two frames, and clung to a 2-1 advantage after CFC (0-2) scratched out a run on a bases-loaded walk by Leah Moss in the third.

In the bottom half of that inning, HCA exploded, sending 13 batters to the plate and scoring nine runs with two outs.

Audrey Allen reached on an error by the shortstop to lead off and Hanshaw turned another beautiful bunt into a single.

Back-to-back strikeouts put the scoring opportunity in jeopardy, but Madison Manuel swatted a high pitch into left-center field for a two-run single.

That brought the speedy Langley to the plate. The senior smacked the ball over the head of the leftfielder and went off to the races. She easily beat the throw home to make it 6-1.

"One person started off with a hit and it was a chain reaction," Langley said. "It takes one person to get it started.

"When it went over her head (she knew she could make it home). I know my speed. I tried to go a little faster to try to pick up a little speed."

An error allowed Melissa Weaver to reach, Riley singled and Jackie Butler drove in a run on a slow roller that the second baseman fielded and hung onto. Riley came home on a wild pitch.

Allen walked, and then Hanshaw got on via a fielder's choice when the third baseman went to third on a grounder in a failed attempt to throw out Butler, who would also score on a wild pitch.

Kim Armstrong hit a comebacker to the pitcher, whose throw to first was dropped by the first baseman, allowing Allen and Hanshaw to cross the plate.

Langley threw three hitless innings, walking two, striking out five and permitting one unearned run. Hanshaw relieved to start the fourth and retired the first four batters she faced.

Two outs away from a combined no-hitter, Megan Diana, a defensive replacement an inning earlier, hit a short blooper that fell in front of the shortstop for the Lady Eagles' only hit.

Hanshaw struck out the next batter and registered the final out of the inning on a grounder to first, preserving the ten-run lead and invoking the mercy rule.

"We had great hits," Murphy said. "Everybody hit really well tonight. When we needed to bunt we bunted. We got around the bases tonight. Just a really nice job."

HCA 11, CENTRAL FL. CHRISTIAN 1 (4 1/2 innings)
                123  45     R   H  E
CFC        001  00  -- 1   1   4
HCA       119  0X --11  8   1
CFC - Reynolds and Moss.
HCA - Langley, Me. Hanshaw (4) and Allen, Langley (4).
W - Langley (2-0).  L - Reynolds (0-2).
2B - none.
3B - none.
HR - Langley (HCA).
Records - Ocoee-Central Florida Christian (0-2), Hernando Christian (2-0).