05-06-2011, 09:07 AM
Ashland scores 14 runs in last two innings to bury Boyd
Rocky Stanley
The Independent The Daily Independent Fri May 06, 2011, 03:55 AM EDT
CANNONSBURG â No rain this time, but Ashlandâs 17th-ranked softball team opened the flood gates late against rival Boyd County on Thursday night.
Ashland exploded for 14 runs in the sixth and seventh innings to beat the Lady Lions 16-2 in the continuation of Mondayâs rain-suspended game.
Pitching-depleted Boyd County hung close for five innings before the Kittensâ offense went on a tear. Freshman McKenzie Vanover and junior Kelsee Hammonds smacked home runs to highlight a barrage of six extra-base hits in Ashlandâs final two at-bats.
Prior to that, Ashland left 11 runners on base against eighth-grade pitchers Lora Thompson and Hannah Irvine. Regular Lady Lionsâ starter Caitlin Coburn is out with a sore wrist.
âI told our girls we were one big hit away from blowing the game open,â Ashland coach Dave Miller said. âIt took us forever to get there. They really had us off balance early with their pitching, but we made good adjustments.â
Katelyn Millerâs bases-loaded triple highlighted the Kittensâ six-run sixth. Vanover hit a solo shot, her fourth of the season, to open the seventh and Hammonds later went opposite field with a three-run blast.
The fireworks brought a smile from Katelyn Miller, who pitched a five-hitter as Ashland improved to 18-3.
âItâs awesome to know even when I am not having my best game, they are going to score enough runs for me,â she said.
Miller helped her own cause with five RBIs. She hit a run-scoring double in the seventh ahead of Hammondsâ fifth homer of the spring.
âI think we came out here Monday with some nerves,â Miller said. âThere was a big difference today. We proved that weâve got our bats back.â
On Monday, Boyd Countyâs Thompson escaped jams in the first three innings while holding Ashland to one run. In the fourth, she hit the first batter and walked the next before rain stopped play with the score tied 1-1.
Irvine got the call Thursday on short notice because Thompson had a sore shoulder.
âHannah didnât know she was going to start until a few minutes before the game started,â Boyd County coach Geoff Stewart said. âShe had only been in about five varsity games.â
Irvine allowed a bases-loaded walk in the fourth but stranded three Ashland runners. She also pitched a scoreless fifth inning around a single and walk, but Ashlandâs offense took control after that.
âItâs hard to depend on two JV pitchers against a team like Ashland,â Stewart said. âWhen their hitters got ahead in the count, they waited on the pitch and drove it.â
Contributing to Boyd Countyâs thin pitching situation is that Alex Meade has been lost to an injury for the remainder of the season. Also, outfielder Nicole Goins sat out Thursday due to sickness.
âWe are a depleted team right now,â Stewart said. âWe have to learn to overcome adversity.â
Stewart said the Lady Lions (14-8) expect to have Coburn back next Monday.
Boyd County got a leadoff home run from Kaitlin Brown in the first inning, only the second allowed by Miller in her career. But the Ashland senior limited the Lady Lions to four singles the rest of the way and finished with nine strikeouts.
Hammonds and Preece each doubled to ignite Ashlandâs big sixth inning. Katie Caron hit a run-scoring single, Megan Griffith drew a bases-loaded walk â the Kittensâ third of the game â and Millerâs triple made it 8-1.
Boyd County threatened to climb back into the game in the sixth. Aided by a dropped fly ball and baserunning obstruction call against a Kittensâ infielder, the Lady Lions loaded the bases with no outs. Emily Pennington followed with a drive to deep left-center, but Kathryn Jackson snagged the ball while running at full speed and Boyd County had to settle for a sacrifice fly.
âThat sixth inning (in the field) was the highlight for me,â Dave Miller said. âAnything that could have gone wrong did, but Kathryn made a great catch and we ended up holding them to one run.â
Katelyn Miller did her part by retiring the next two batters on called third strikes.
âSituations like that when things are not working out for us, I know itâs up to me to bear down and get those outs,â she said.
Hammonds, Emily Preece and Caron each collected three of Ashlandâs 15 hits. The Kittens also walked 11 times.
Caron reached safely all five trips, drove in three runs and scored two.
Ashland travels to North Laurel this weekend to play four Top 20 teams â Lafayette, Scott County, Ryle and Butler County.
âWeâre going to have to have our âAâ game,â Katelyn Miller said.
ASHLAND 010 106 8 â 16 15 3
BOYD CO. 100 001 0 â 2 5 3
Miller and Preece; Thompson, Irvine (4), Pennington (7) and Stewart. WâMiller. LâThompson. 2BâHammonds (A), Preece (A), Miller (A). 3BâMiller (A). HRâBrown (BC), Vanover (A), Hammonds (A).
Rocky Stanley
The Independent The Daily Independent Fri May 06, 2011, 03:55 AM EDT
CANNONSBURG â No rain this time, but Ashlandâs 17th-ranked softball team opened the flood gates late against rival Boyd County on Thursday night.
Ashland exploded for 14 runs in the sixth and seventh innings to beat the Lady Lions 16-2 in the continuation of Mondayâs rain-suspended game.
Pitching-depleted Boyd County hung close for five innings before the Kittensâ offense went on a tear. Freshman McKenzie Vanover and junior Kelsee Hammonds smacked home runs to highlight a barrage of six extra-base hits in Ashlandâs final two at-bats.
Prior to that, Ashland left 11 runners on base against eighth-grade pitchers Lora Thompson and Hannah Irvine. Regular Lady Lionsâ starter Caitlin Coburn is out with a sore wrist.
âI told our girls we were one big hit away from blowing the game open,â Ashland coach Dave Miller said. âIt took us forever to get there. They really had us off balance early with their pitching, but we made good adjustments.â
Katelyn Millerâs bases-loaded triple highlighted the Kittensâ six-run sixth. Vanover hit a solo shot, her fourth of the season, to open the seventh and Hammonds later went opposite field with a three-run blast.
The fireworks brought a smile from Katelyn Miller, who pitched a five-hitter as Ashland improved to 18-3.
âItâs awesome to know even when I am not having my best game, they are going to score enough runs for me,â she said.
Miller helped her own cause with five RBIs. She hit a run-scoring double in the seventh ahead of Hammondsâ fifth homer of the spring.
âI think we came out here Monday with some nerves,â Miller said. âThere was a big difference today. We proved that weâve got our bats back.â
On Monday, Boyd Countyâs Thompson escaped jams in the first three innings while holding Ashland to one run. In the fourth, she hit the first batter and walked the next before rain stopped play with the score tied 1-1.
Irvine got the call Thursday on short notice because Thompson had a sore shoulder.
âHannah didnât know she was going to start until a few minutes before the game started,â Boyd County coach Geoff Stewart said. âShe had only been in about five varsity games.â
Irvine allowed a bases-loaded walk in the fourth but stranded three Ashland runners. She also pitched a scoreless fifth inning around a single and walk, but Ashlandâs offense took control after that.
âItâs hard to depend on two JV pitchers against a team like Ashland,â Stewart said. âWhen their hitters got ahead in the count, they waited on the pitch and drove it.â
Contributing to Boyd Countyâs thin pitching situation is that Alex Meade has been lost to an injury for the remainder of the season. Also, outfielder Nicole Goins sat out Thursday due to sickness.
âWe are a depleted team right now,â Stewart said. âWe have to learn to overcome adversity.â
Stewart said the Lady Lions (14-8) expect to have Coburn back next Monday.
Boyd County got a leadoff home run from Kaitlin Brown in the first inning, only the second allowed by Miller in her career. But the Ashland senior limited the Lady Lions to four singles the rest of the way and finished with nine strikeouts.
Hammonds and Preece each doubled to ignite Ashlandâs big sixth inning. Katie Caron hit a run-scoring single, Megan Griffith drew a bases-loaded walk â the Kittensâ third of the game â and Millerâs triple made it 8-1.
Boyd County threatened to climb back into the game in the sixth. Aided by a dropped fly ball and baserunning obstruction call against a Kittensâ infielder, the Lady Lions loaded the bases with no outs. Emily Pennington followed with a drive to deep left-center, but Kathryn Jackson snagged the ball while running at full speed and Boyd County had to settle for a sacrifice fly.
âThat sixth inning (in the field) was the highlight for me,â Dave Miller said. âAnything that could have gone wrong did, but Kathryn made a great catch and we ended up holding them to one run.â
Katelyn Miller did her part by retiring the next two batters on called third strikes.
âSituations like that when things are not working out for us, I know itâs up to me to bear down and get those outs,â she said.
Hammonds, Emily Preece and Caron each collected three of Ashlandâs 15 hits. The Kittens also walked 11 times.
Caron reached safely all five trips, drove in three runs and scored two.
Ashland travels to North Laurel this weekend to play four Top 20 teams â Lafayette, Scott County, Ryle and Butler County.
âWeâre going to have to have our âAâ game,â Katelyn Miller said.
ASHLAND 010 106 8 â 16 15 3
BOYD CO. 100 001 0 â 2 5 3
Miller and Preece; Thompson, Irvine (4), Pennington (7) and Stewart. WâMiller. LâThompson. 2BâHammonds (A), Preece (A), Miller (A). 3BâMiller (A). HRâBrown (BC), Vanover (A), Hammonds (A).