First-Inning Jitters Sink Spring Hill

NEW PORT RICHEY - As the game played out Thursday night in the opening round of the Angels (ages 9-10) All-Stars District 4 Tournament, it seemed very obvious what plagued Spring Hill.

"We had first-inning jitters, a classic case of it," Head Coach Glenn Primavera said. "I had a pitcher in there who normally throws nothing but strikes. She was coming off a fever. She didn't look like herself."

West Pasco barely needed to put the ball in play to score four times in the top of the first inning at Oakridge Park in New Port Richey, benefiting from four walks wrapped around two errors.

That provided plenty of cushion in West Pasco's 6-1 victory, sending Spring Hill into the loser's bracket of the double-elimination event.

"We have to fight our way through the loser's bracket," Primavera said. "I have the utmost confidence we can come out of there and face them in the finals."

Two more runs scored in the second on a poor throw to first on a two-out grounder off the bat of Julie Allen. The miscue allowed both Brook Schwaner and Allen to come across, 6-0.

Spring Hill got on the board in the bottom half on Kama Woodall's RBI single to right field.

From that point both teams settled into a groove. After Brittney Pressler threw the first two innings, Allen and Kylie Randolph combined to hold Spring Hill to two hits and a walk over the final three frames.

Skylar Heyward relieved in the first inning and went the rest of way for Spring Hill, holding West Pasco scoreless the last three innings.

West Pasco strung together three straight two-out singles in the fifth, but Spring Hill ended the inning by throwing out a runner at the plate after another runner got caught in a rundown between second and third.

"We got behind early," Primavera said. "They have a solid defense and solid pitching. Any scoring opportunity we got we didn't take advantage.

"We finished strong. After the first inning it was anybody's game. If we can play like that than we can see them again later on in the tournament."

West Pasco moved on to a game at 9 a.m. today against Hernando. Spring Hill takes on the loser of Friday's East Pasco-Wesley Chapel game at 11 a.m.