[16th Region]

Kyle Hobstetter
The Independent The Daily Independent Wed Mar 21, 2012, 12:41 AM EDT

RACELAND — After watching Monday’s game at West Carter slip away, the Raceland Lady Rams were ready for a pick-me-up. As it turned out, that came against Rowan County on Tuesday.

Raceland used two huge offensive innings and a stellar performance from freshman pitcher Kelsey Diller to mercy Rowan County, 11-1, in six innings on Tuesday at Raceland.

The Lady Rams started early, loading the bases with no outs in the first inning and then taking advantage with a run-scoring walk and an RBI single from Hannah Wilson to build a 3-0 lead.

“We were opportunistic,” said Raceland coach Shawn Johnson. “We were able to get a lot of baserunners and move them around and that’s what this game is. You can’t score unless you get runners on base.”

After taking an early lead, Johnson looked to Diller, who pitched a complete seven-inning game at West Carter on Monday, to hold on to the lead.

But after coming off a close game Monday, Johnson knew the freshman was a little worn out.

“She battled all night,” Johnson said. “She was tired and a little sore but as the season goes on she won’t get sore and she won’t get tired.”

Diller finished the game giving up only one run on six hits and striking out seven batters, but what was most impressive on Tuesday was the freshman’s poise.

With a 3-1 lead in the top of the fifth inning, Diller walked the Lady Vikings’ leadoff batter, and then gave up a single.

After a conference at the mound, Diller struck out the next batter, and then forced two infield popups to get out of the jam.

Johnson said that’s all he could have asked for from the freshman.

“She’s ready for this, and she’s prepared all winter,” Johnson said. “Kelsey did a good job. She pitched a good game yesterday, came back today with little rest, it was a late night, and ran into a few jams and gutted it out and got out of the jam.”

Rowan County coach Larry Slone said after his team couldn’t score on that situation, he knew that would be a turning point in the game.

“We lost a lot of momentum when we had runners on second and third with nobody out and couldn’t score,” Slone said. “That was major, because if had we tied the game maybe we would come out with more energy and maybe Abby Hammond would have done better pitching.”

After giving up three runs in the first, Hammond settled down and was able to control the Raceland offense for the next four innings in her first varsity start.

“I thought she handled herself well through the first four innings, then she lost her control and the walks (six total) really got us in a lot of trouble,” Slone said.

Raceland blew the game open in the fifth when the bases were loaded with nobody out, just like in the first inning.

Sophomore Chloe Adkins hit a two-run single ro right field followed by another run-scoring single by Wilson to bring the score to 6-1.

By the end of the fifth it was 10-1.

Adkins finished the game 1-for-3 with three RBIs and Wilson finished 2-for-3 with two RBIs.

For Rowan County, Baileigh Garvin finished 2-for-2 with a double and the Lady Vikings’ only RBI.



ROWAN CO. 010 000 — 1 6 4

RACELAND 300 071 — 11 9 1

Hammonds, Conn (5) and Reynolds; Diller and Carman. W—Diller. L—Hammond. 2B—Garvin (RC), Duff (RC).