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03-16-2012, 04:46 PM
The Collins softball team picked up where it left off last season.
The Titans, who showed a flair for the dramatic – and not for the weak-hearted – in their run to the 8th Region title game last season, started off their second campaign with a walk-off victory Tuesday.
Sophomore Sydney Cloyd’s high pop up in front of the plate was misplayed by South Oldham’s catcher, allowing junior Bailey Rankin to score from third base in the bottom of the seventh inning and give host Collins a 4-3 victory.
“It’s the first game, the first victory, we’ll take it,” Titans Coach Jim Axline said. “But it sure wasn’t pretty.”
That’s because Collins squandered a 3-0 lead, thanks to a couple of key errors, against a team it came-from-behind to beat, 2-1, in the first round of last year’s 8th Region Tournament.
“It starts us off on a good foot, but we still have to work on some stuff,” said Rankin, who led the Titans at the plate with a pair of doubles.
Collins started off on the right foot against the Dragons (1-2). The Titans scored three runs in the second inning despite having only one hit – albeit a 2-run single by junior Lauren Shepherd.
That was a comfortable cushion for Collins ace Jeneca Thomas, but her comfort didn’t last long. Thomas rolled her ankle in the third inning but stayed in the game.
“She’s a battler,” Axline said.
South Oldham battled back against Thomas. The Dragons scored one run – and may have had more if not for a runner interference call – in the fourth inning. Then after Thomas retired South in order in the fifth inning, the Dragons plated a pair of runs in the sixth without a hit.
Thomas hit South catcher Ashleigh Howard, the leadoff batter, with a pitch before Danielle Hempel reached on an error by Collins senior Allie Stumbo, who was covering first on Hempel’s bunt.
Thomas got the next two batters to pop out and fly out before Kadiesha Streble hit a drive into the gap in right-center field. Kara Owens, the Titans’ catcher last season, ran down the drive and appeared to have it in her glove before it squirted free, allowing two runs to tie the score at 3.
Those were errors that Axline attributed as much to his early experimenting of player positioning as to the early start of the season (almost two weeks earlier than last year).
“That’s two weeks of practice that we’re out,” Axline said. “If they [the Kentucky High School Athletic Association] do that again, I won’t do it.”
The Dragons had a chance to take the lead in the top of the seventh with a runner on third and two outs. That’s when Howard lined a hard, fast-dying shot to center field, where senior Becca Mouser made a diving grab to end the top half of the inning.
Rankin then nearly ended the game as the first batter in the bottom of the seventh when she tagged a Hempel offering into deep left-centerfield. The ball bounced off the yellow lining at the top of the fence and bounced back into play. Rankin ended up on second with her second double.
Senior Amanda Buresh moved Rankin to third with a sacrifice bunt before Alex Baker reached first on a short blooper in front of the plate that froze the Dragons’ defense. Axline then sent up Cloyd as a pinch hitter. Her at-bat was somewhat similar to last year’s 8th Region Tournament semifinal game against Grant County.
In that contest Cloyd fell behind 0-2 in the count before blasting a 3-run home run that tied the score in a game the Titans eventually won.
This time around Cloyd fell behind Hempel, 0-2, drew a ball, fouled one off, then drew another ball.
“I do better when I’m down [in the count],” Cloyd said.
She lifted Hempel’s final offering high into the air and slightly left of home plate. Howard readied to catch the ball, but it glanced off her hand and her glove and hit in fair ground before spinning into foul territory.
“I just saw nobody around the plate and nobody near the ball, so I just went for it,” Rankin said of her winning run.
“It was a little unexpected but good enough for the win,” Cloyd said.
Collins 4, South Oldham 3
S. Oldham 000 102 0 – 3 3 4
Collins 030 000 1 – 4 10 4
Danielle Hempel and Ashleigh Howard. Jeneca Thomas and Alex Baker.
W – Thomas (1-0). L – Hempel (0-1).
2B – Rankin © 2.
Records – South Oldham 1-2, Collins 1-0.
http://www.sentinelnews.com/content/tita...-it-counts
The Titans, who showed a flair for the dramatic – and not for the weak-hearted – in their run to the 8th Region title game last season, started off their second campaign with a walk-off victory Tuesday.
Sophomore Sydney Cloyd’s high pop up in front of the plate was misplayed by South Oldham’s catcher, allowing junior Bailey Rankin to score from third base in the bottom of the seventh inning and give host Collins a 4-3 victory.
“It’s the first game, the first victory, we’ll take it,” Titans Coach Jim Axline said. “But it sure wasn’t pretty.”
That’s because Collins squandered a 3-0 lead, thanks to a couple of key errors, against a team it came-from-behind to beat, 2-1, in the first round of last year’s 8th Region Tournament.
“It starts us off on a good foot, but we still have to work on some stuff,” said Rankin, who led the Titans at the plate with a pair of doubles.
Collins started off on the right foot against the Dragons (1-2). The Titans scored three runs in the second inning despite having only one hit – albeit a 2-run single by junior Lauren Shepherd.
That was a comfortable cushion for Collins ace Jeneca Thomas, but her comfort didn’t last long. Thomas rolled her ankle in the third inning but stayed in the game.
“She’s a battler,” Axline said.
South Oldham battled back against Thomas. The Dragons scored one run – and may have had more if not for a runner interference call – in the fourth inning. Then after Thomas retired South in order in the fifth inning, the Dragons plated a pair of runs in the sixth without a hit.
Thomas hit South catcher Ashleigh Howard, the leadoff batter, with a pitch before Danielle Hempel reached on an error by Collins senior Allie Stumbo, who was covering first on Hempel’s bunt.
Thomas got the next two batters to pop out and fly out before Kadiesha Streble hit a drive into the gap in right-center field. Kara Owens, the Titans’ catcher last season, ran down the drive and appeared to have it in her glove before it squirted free, allowing two runs to tie the score at 3.
Those were errors that Axline attributed as much to his early experimenting of player positioning as to the early start of the season (almost two weeks earlier than last year).
“That’s two weeks of practice that we’re out,” Axline said. “If they [the Kentucky High School Athletic Association] do that again, I won’t do it.”
The Dragons had a chance to take the lead in the top of the seventh with a runner on third and two outs. That’s when Howard lined a hard, fast-dying shot to center field, where senior Becca Mouser made a diving grab to end the top half of the inning.
Rankin then nearly ended the game as the first batter in the bottom of the seventh when she tagged a Hempel offering into deep left-centerfield. The ball bounced off the yellow lining at the top of the fence and bounced back into play. Rankin ended up on second with her second double.
Senior Amanda Buresh moved Rankin to third with a sacrifice bunt before Alex Baker reached first on a short blooper in front of the plate that froze the Dragons’ defense. Axline then sent up Cloyd as a pinch hitter. Her at-bat was somewhat similar to last year’s 8th Region Tournament semifinal game against Grant County.
In that contest Cloyd fell behind 0-2 in the count before blasting a 3-run home run that tied the score in a game the Titans eventually won.
This time around Cloyd fell behind Hempel, 0-2, drew a ball, fouled one off, then drew another ball.
“I do better when I’m down [in the count],” Cloyd said.
She lifted Hempel’s final offering high into the air and slightly left of home plate. Howard readied to catch the ball, but it glanced off her hand and her glove and hit in fair ground before spinning into foul territory.
“I just saw nobody around the plate and nobody near the ball, so I just went for it,” Rankin said of her winning run.
“It was a little unexpected but good enough for the win,” Cloyd said.
Collins 4, South Oldham 3
S. Oldham 000 102 0 – 3 3 4
Collins 030 000 1 – 4 10 4
Danielle Hempel and Ashleigh Howard. Jeneca Thomas and Alex Baker.
W – Thomas (1-0). L – Hempel (0-1).
2B – Rankin © 2.
Records – South Oldham 1-2, Collins 1-0.
http://www.sentinelnews.com/content/tita...-it-counts
03-16-2012, 04:48 PM
[Image: http://www.sentinelnews.com/sites/www.se...csb2_0.jpg]
Collins junior Bailey Rankin (left) receives congratulations from seniors Sara Chambers (right) and Becca Mouser (rear) after scoring the game-winning run in the Titans’ 4-3 victory over South Oldham in their season-opener Tuesday.
[Image: http://www.sentinelnews.com/sites/www.se...csb1_0.jpg]
Jeneca Thomas delivers a pitch.
[Image: http://www.sentinelnews.com/sites/www.se...socsb3.jpg]
Sara Chambers throws to first.
[Image: http://www.sentinelnews.com/sites/www.se...socsb7.jpg]
Allie Stumbo throws to first.
[Image: http://www.sentinelnews.com/sites/www.se...csb4_0.jpg]
Bailey Rankin scores the winning run as the ball rolls by her.
Collins junior Bailey Rankin (left) receives congratulations from seniors Sara Chambers (right) and Becca Mouser (rear) after scoring the game-winning run in the Titans’ 4-3 victory over South Oldham in their season-opener Tuesday.
[Image: http://www.sentinelnews.com/sites/www.se...csb1_0.jpg]
Jeneca Thomas delivers a pitch.
[Image: http://www.sentinelnews.com/sites/www.se...socsb3.jpg]
Sara Chambers throws to first.
[Image: http://www.sentinelnews.com/sites/www.se...socsb7.jpg]
Allie Stumbo throws to first.
[Image: http://www.sentinelnews.com/sites/www.se...csb4_0.jpg]
Bailey Rankin scores the winning run as the ball rolls by her.
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