Hernando's 1-Hitter: Not Enough

BELLEVIEW - Twice Hernando's Ponytails (ages 9-10) All-Star softball team found itself in a one-run contest at the Dixie League All-Star State Tournament in Belleview. Both times Hernando had plenty of pitching to subdue its opponent.
But Hernando could not consistently produce the offense needed in these two games, losing in the first round to Wahneta 3-2 and, after beating Chipley 9-0 early Saturday, falling to Hardee County in the afternoon at the Belleview Sports Complex, 1-0.
The second loss eliminated Hernando from the eight-team, double elimination format, but the losses sustained could easily have gone the other way.
"It was just a tough draw," said Hernando coach Danny Harvey. "Those (teams we lost to), those are two travel teams, they've been playing together for a couple of years. We've been together about a month.
"Our pitching's been great, we've got six good pitchers and I didn't even use two of them. But our bats went to sleep. We had runners at third twice and couldn't do anything."
There was no doubt Hernando had the pitching, arguably the best of any Ponytails team in the tournament. Against Hardee, the combination of starter Courtney Riddle, Ann-Marie Rojero and Tana McDaniel allowed just one hit and one walk, striking out 13. Their fielders had to make just two putouts.
But the walk proved costly. With one out in the second, Jaykaysla Lid drew the pass, stole second, went to third on a wild pitch and, when Hernando tried to get her in a run down on the play, she scored.
Ashley Sims, who singled twice for Hernando, reached third in the first inning but was stranded there. In the third, Jenise Knowles led off the inning with a walk, then stole second and third, but could forge no further.
Neither, unfortunately, could her team.

Hardee 1, Hernando 0
1 2 3 4 5 6 -- R H E
HER 0 0 0 0 0 0 -- 0 3 1
HAR 0 1 0 0 0 X -- 1 1 1
HER - Riddle, Rojero (3), McDaniel (5) and Huggins.
HAR - Reid and Galvez.
Records - Hardee (2-1). Hernando (1-2).