Sonny Dearth
03-30-2007, 08:47 PM
Girl picks up Kecoughtan
Katie Alexander is just a little better than Jenna Ryan as the Warriors nip Bethel.
BY DAVE JOHNSON
djohnson@dailypress.com | 247-4649
HAMPTON — It was one of those games when neither pitcher deserved to have a loss by her name. Kecoughtan’s Katie Alexander and Bethel’s Jenna Ryan went into the ninth inning having yielded a combined six hits, no walks and no runs. So yes, to use the obvious cliché, it was a heck of a pitchers' duel.
Yet in the end, it was Alexander’s bat that made the difference. Her sacrifice fly in the top of the ninth scored Sammi Dail from third base and lifted the Warriors to a 1-0 victory Friday afternoon. The win ended a two-game losing streak, in which Kecoughtan had been outscored 20-0, and handed the Bruins their third loss in five days.
"We’d had a tough week, so we needed this," said Alexander, who retired the final 13 batters she faced. "We were focused today. We were focused on the bus ride over here, and we were focused the whole game."
With Alexander and Ryan giving up almost nothing on the mound, it figured that one run would be enough. Bethel (4-3) had two nice chances earlier, but once the Bruins left a runner on third and once they had a runner thrown out at third. Kecoughtan (5-2) had only two baserunners through six innings, and neither of them even sniffed second base.
Alexander gave up four hits, no walks and struck out 13. Ryan pitched a three-hitter, walked none, and struck out eight.
"Both of them pitched a great game," Kecoughtan coach Mark Christman said.
After generating nothing on offense through eight innings, the Warriors got a lift when Dail led off the ninth with a double to right-center. Karissa Cross then grounded out to third, but Dail waited for the throw before advancing a base. That brought up Alexander, who had flown out deep twice before. With only one out, a third time would mean a run.
"When I made it to third, I thought, ‘Thank God,’" Dail said. "Katie’s a really good hitter, and I knew she’d be ready."
Alexander smacked it to left, sending Julianna Pai back a few steps to make the grab. She had no chance to get Dail, who scored to make it 1-0.
Bethel had one more chance, but Alexander apparently was ready to go home. She struck out the side.
"She was real good in our game against Phoebus," Christman said. "But this was her best outing of the season. This was a big win for us. We needed something to get our spirits up, and this is a heck of a way to go into spring break."
KECOUGHTAN 1, BETHEL 0
Kecoughtan 000 000 001 — 1 3 0
Bethel 000 000 000 — 0 4 2
WP—Alexander (4-2). LP—Ryan (4-3). Standouts — Kecoughtan, Alexander (13 strikeouts, GW-RBI). Records — Kecoughtan 5-2; Bethel 4-3.
Katie Alexander is just a little better than Jenna Ryan as the Warriors nip Bethel.
BY DAVE JOHNSON
djohnson@dailypress.com | 247-4649
HAMPTON — It was one of those games when neither pitcher deserved to have a loss by her name. Kecoughtan’s Katie Alexander and Bethel’s Jenna Ryan went into the ninth inning having yielded a combined six hits, no walks and no runs. So yes, to use the obvious cliché, it was a heck of a pitchers' duel.
Yet in the end, it was Alexander’s bat that made the difference. Her sacrifice fly in the top of the ninth scored Sammi Dail from third base and lifted the Warriors to a 1-0 victory Friday afternoon. The win ended a two-game losing streak, in which Kecoughtan had been outscored 20-0, and handed the Bruins their third loss in five days.
"We’d had a tough week, so we needed this," said Alexander, who retired the final 13 batters she faced. "We were focused today. We were focused on the bus ride over here, and we were focused the whole game."
With Alexander and Ryan giving up almost nothing on the mound, it figured that one run would be enough. Bethel (4-3) had two nice chances earlier, but once the Bruins left a runner on third and once they had a runner thrown out at third. Kecoughtan (5-2) had only two baserunners through six innings, and neither of them even sniffed second base.
Alexander gave up four hits, no walks and struck out 13. Ryan pitched a three-hitter, walked none, and struck out eight.
"Both of them pitched a great game," Kecoughtan coach Mark Christman said.
After generating nothing on offense through eight innings, the Warriors got a lift when Dail led off the ninth with a double to right-center. Karissa Cross then grounded out to third, but Dail waited for the throw before advancing a base. That brought up Alexander, who had flown out deep twice before. With only one out, a third time would mean a run.
"When I made it to third, I thought, ‘Thank God,’" Dail said. "Katie’s a really good hitter, and I knew she’d be ready."
Alexander smacked it to left, sending Julianna Pai back a few steps to make the grab. She had no chance to get Dail, who scored to make it 1-0.
Bethel had one more chance, but Alexander apparently was ready to go home. She struck out the side.
"She was real good in our game against Phoebus," Christman said. "But this was her best outing of the season. This was a big win for us. We needed something to get our spirits up, and this is a heck of a way to go into spring break."
KECOUGHTAN 1, BETHEL 0
Kecoughtan 000 000 001 — 1 3 0
Bethel 000 000 000 — 0 4 2
WP—Alexander (4-2). LP—Ryan (4-3). Standouts — Kecoughtan, Alexander (13 strikeouts, GW-RBI). Records — Kecoughtan 5-2; Bethel 4-3.