Reprinted courtesy of:
Alexandria Times
By Mike Brown
ALEXANDRIA — One day after knocking off Class 2A No.9-ranked Madison-Grant,
the Alexandria Lady Tigers took on the 0-7 Elwood Lady Panthers.
Through 4½ innings the Panthers gave the Tigers all they wanted, battling to a
3-all tie.
However, Alex put a four-spot on the board in the bottom half of the fifth for a
7-3 Central Indiana Conference win.
Alexandria Coach Rob Sayre said his team wasn’t focused after Wednesday’s win
and a half-day off from school.
“It was one of the things we talked about after the game with the girls,” said
Sayre. “After the girls realized how big a win they had the night before, and
then having half a day off, I thought they came out very flat.
“People couldn’t hear what was going on in the dugout. I got on them a little
bit because they weren’t focused; they were in there chatting about everything
they had done earlier in the day except for the game and I told them, ‘You have
to come out ready to play no matter who we are playing.’ A team like Elwood,
they are down a little bit and if you leave them in the game, you just see their
confidence growing more and more and we just couldn’t get it going.”
But the Panthers did.
Elwood spotted the Tigers a 3-1 lead before tying the game in the fifth.
Elwood’s Sharee Knotts stroked a one-out single to center and advanced to second
on a wild pitch. No.9 hitter Kirsten Hibst singled to right to plate Knotts.
Following a strikeout, Tiffany Stephens reached on an error.
Sheena Smith singled to left-center to drive in Hibst to tie the game and the
Panthers still had two runners on.
Sayre then went to sophomore Casey King, who threw a complete game shutout
against Madison-Grant, to replace junior starter Ashlee Jones.
King got two quick strikes on cleanup hitter Paige Hanlin before she grounded
out to second baseman Adrienne DiRuzza to end inning.
Erin England led off the bottom of the fifth with a bunt single, but Elwood’s
Smith threw her out trying to steal second.
Maira King then doubled to the fence in right-center.
Joni Dent struck out, but reached after a dropped third strike. King moved to
third.
Ashleigh Wilson then sent the next pitch from Carley Croy down the left-field
line for a single that scored King.
Emalee Wyatt laid down a bunt and the throw to first sailed into the right-field
corner as Raquel Wilson, who pinch ran for Dent, scored along with Wilson.
“With our speed, we were able to bunt with people in the right positions, like
Emalee Wyatt laying that perfect bunt down,” Sayre said. “With her quickness
going down the line they had to make a quick play and they threw it away and we
were able to score. I told them it doesn’t take a long hit to be a good hit and
that’s what happened and that got us going.”
Wyatt ended up at second and then advanced to third on a passed ball. Adrienne
DiRuzza singled to right to score Wyatt and the Tigers led 7-3.
“It was one of those things where we had the right people up at the right time,”
Sayre said. “Erin England was finally able to get a couple of hits tonight and
when she gets her speed on the bases, I feel very confident and our big girls
are hitting the ball pretty strong and so when she gets on it really causes
havoc.”
Casey King pitched a perfect sixth and seventh to record her second win in as
many days.
“I told the girls after the game that our starting pitcher deserved a better
effort. Ashlee came out and I thought she threw pretty well,” said Sayre. “The
runs they scored, I don’t think they were earned; we had some errors that the
girls don’t usually make that happened. I told them they need to back her better
and it was just reflective from the whole game of just a slow start and our
pitchers are giving quality efforts, so they need to give the same kind of
effort that they are doing.
“I thought when Casey came in it seemed like a whole new level — confidence in
the team and I thought they backed her a little better. Casey throws a little
bit harder and with the game last night I think they had a little more
confidence in her and looked like they had a little extra step in the defense.”
Alexandria scored single runs in the first, third and fourth innings and Elwood
plated a run in the third.
In the first, Kylie Bischof led off reaching on an error and advance to second
on a wild pitch. She moved to third on England’s groundout and scored on Maira
King’s grounder.
Elwood tied the game in the top of the third.
Knotts singled to center and moved up on Hibst’s sacrifice bunt that was
misplayed by the Tigers and Hibst was safe at first.
Katelyn Jones moved the runners to second and third with a sacrifice bunt and
Knotts scored to tie the game on Tiffany Stephens’ single.
Adrienne DiRuzza singled to lead off the bottom of the third and stole second
and third. She came in to score on England’s single up the middle to make it
2-1.
Wyatt singled with one out in the fourth for the Tigers and moved to second on
Molly DiRuzza’s hit.
Wyatt stole third and then came home on a passed ball to make it 3-1.
England, Maira King, Wyatt and Adrienne DiRuzza each had two hits for the Tigers
while Wilson and Molly DiRuzza had one hit apiece.
Smith led the Panthers going 3-for-3 and Knotts had a pair of singles. Hibst and
Stephens had the other hits for Elwood.
Alexandria evened its record at 5-5 and moved to 2-0 in the conference. Elwood
drops to 0-8 and 0-3 in the CIC. Both teams have games Saturday. See schedule on
Page 6.
“I told them you have to start somewhere,” said Sayre “With the big win at
Madison-Grant and then this one that gives them a chance and we will take it one
game at a time and see what happens.”
Elwood 001 020 0 — 3 7 2
Alexandria 101 140 x — 7 10 2
Croy and Smith; Jones, C. King (5) and K. Bischof. 2B – (A) M. King
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