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Friday, 16 May 2008 |
By RANDY WILKER
EL Sports Correspondent
NEW BREMEN — One bad inning was all the Parkway Panther softball team needed Thursday evening to advance to the Division IV district semi-final. The panthers scored a pair of runs in the fifth inning and held off the New Bremen Cardinals 2-1 in the sectional final played at New Bremen.
“They jumped on Emily (Crowell) with a run in the first inning,” Parkway head coach Mark Esselstein said. “I think we had a case of nerves as the game began. With a freshman pitcher, but she came back and pitched a nice game.”
New Bremen got their only run in the top of the first inning. With one out, Emily Phlipot singled to center and scored when Stacy Timmerman laced a double to left field. Crowell fought back on the mound and struck out Tracy Jacoby and Michelle Griesdorn to end the inning.
“We had some opportunities,” Cardinals head coach Craig Griesdorn said. “We just could cash in enough. We started off well and had chances in the fifth and the seventh and we didn’t cash in. I couldn’t ask for anything more from the girls and I am very proud of the girls.”
Timmerman also pitched a good game for the Cardinals as she got out of jams in the first three innings. In the bottom of the first Hannah Beougher smacked a one-out triple for Parkway, but Timmerman left her stranded when she got Danielle Schoenleben to ground out to third and after a walk struck out Chelsie O’Neill to end the inning.
In the bottom of the second inning Theah Bourelle drew a walk and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt, but Timmerman fought back to retire the next two batters to end the inning.
The final threat by Parkway came in the third inning. Crowell led off with a single, but was forced at second on a fielder’s choice hit by Beougher. Schoenleben hit a ball to short, but the throw to second base was late allowing Beougher to be safe.
Megan Ketchum also grounded into a fielder’s choice hit with Schoenleben being forced at second and Beougher moving over to third. The Cardinals got out of trouble when Timmerman struck out O’Neill to end the inning.
New Bremen had their best threat of the game in the top of the fifth inning. Becca Dwenger led off with an infield single and Morgan Russell came in to pinch run. Russell went to second on a sacrifice bunt by Melissa Bruggeman. Leann Thieman reached on a single with Russell going to third, but the inning ended with a pop up and a fly out to right by Jackie Scheer.
Parkway took advantage of a couple New Bremen errors to take the lead in the bottom of the fifth inning. Crowell led off with an infield single and advanced to third when Beougher reached on an error by the pitcher. Beougher stole second and Crowell came home to score on a sacrifice fly out to left by Schoenleben.
When the throw came in and was cut off by the pitcher she threw to third attempting to get Beougher, but the throw was high allowing Beougher to score the second Panther run and give them a 2-1 lead.
“The thing that has basically bit us in the butt all year has been one bad inning in a game,” Griesdorn said. “That has pretty much been our calling card this year. We had one bad inning and that was pretty much what it was.”
The Cardinals had one last chance in the top of the seventh. After a line out to second by Griesdorn, Dwenger tripled to right-center, but Bruggeman struck out and Thieman struck out to end the game.
“We have been in this situation before and we have responded,” Griesdorn said. “Michelle (Griesdorn) comes up and hits the ball right on the button and it was a line drive right at somebody. Becca (Dwenger) hits a triple and then it is just a matter of putting the ball in play. We can’t get a bunt down and have to swing away and their pitcher made the pitches when she had to. It is not like we didn’t have opportunities, but when we needed it we couldn’t get it.”
Four players played their final game for the Cardinals. The four seniors are second baseman Brittany Frey, catcher Tracy Jacoby, shortstop Melissa Bruggeman and first baseman Leann Thieman.
“I am proud of the seniors,” Griesdorn said. “They preformed well all year and they will be missed, but we have some underclassman have got some experience this season and will be back for next year.”
The Cardinals end the season at 10-14 and 1-6 in the MAC.
Parkway will play Fort Recovery next Tuesday in the District semi-final at New Bremen at 5:00. |
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 22 May 2008 )
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