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Monday, May 16, 2016
Page #3
Peaster upsets Howe in one-game playoff; freak play kills comeback
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Torrey Stubblefield with the pitch. Entetrprise photo by Michelle Carney A one game series never plays in the favor of the better team. A coin-toss played much in the Lady Bulldogs now sitting at home while Peaster lives to play another day. However, the Lady Bulldogs bare a little responsibility, themselves. But perhaps, the game will always be remembered for the freak play in the top of the fourth that completely changed the momentum and perhaps the game. Howe trailing, 3-0 with the bases loaded, two outs and Torrey Stubblefield at the plate, saw her rip a line drive towards the left centerfield gap that was going to score one, if not two runs. However, the ball was hit right at Kayla Anderson who was leading off second base. Anderson froze and the ball glanced off of her batting helmet which caused her to be out. That ended the inning, momentum and virtually the season. It was a freak play that one will probably never see again.
Madisyn Hargrove would then pop up to second for the third and final out in the first.
Stubblefield, who has been battling injuries for most of the season was in the circle for only the second time this year. The dominating hard-throwing sophomore was on her game early by allowing only one runner on base in the first (on an error). Payton Griffin struckout swinging. Emily Sanders singled to left to Peaster's Melton struckout the side load the bases. Coach Banker in the bottom of the second. But opted to hold Hargrove at third in Stubblefield matched her toe-to-toe order to make sure Stubblefield had with a 1-2-3 bottom of the second. a chance to swing the bat with runners on base. Banker got the hit Howe was threatening in the top of he wanted, but fate had other ideas the third when Dani Ross doubled as everything stopped when the to left, but Melton got Blackburn to ball hit Anderson. fly out to left to end the inning. Stubblefield would give up a single All of the scoring in the game took and walk in the bottom of the place in the bottom of the third fourth and showed signs up inning. Stubblefied actually had uncomfortableness with her hip, two outs through the first three but no runs scored. Ross, Hunter batters, however, a Ruddy single Brockelman, and Blackburn went Howe set the tone in the first broke the scoreless game when down 1-2-3 in the top of the 5th. inning and the first batter of the Tatum would score. Another RBI game. The visiting Lady Bulldogs single by McKinzie scored In the bottom of the 5th, leadoff hitter Erin Blackburn Chapman. Ruddy would score on Stubblefield was replaced in the slashed a line drive double to left the throw to make it 3-0 Peaster circle by Hargrove who gave up a field, however, she blew through headed to the fateful top of the single but got a strikeout, popup the stop sign at second and was out fourth. and a groundout to end the inning. at third base to start the game. Streetman grounded out to second, Peyton Streetman led off the inning Howe had a chance to score in the which would have moved with a strikeout. Hargrove singled, top of the sixth when Anderson Blackburn to third with one out. Anderson singled to right and singled and Giffin walked,
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however, Melton was able to strikeout Sanders to end the threat. Hargrove gave up a single and a walk in the bottom of the sixth, but no runs scored setting up a needed three-run rally by the Lady Bulldogs in the final frame. Stubblefield led off the inning by reaching on an error and was able to go to second on the bad throw. But that was the only threat as Ross flied to center, Maddie Mullens, hitting for Brockelman, struckout swinging and Blackburn lined out hard to the shortstop. The Lady Bulldogs finished as area champions, just shy of last year's finish. But the bright news is that everyone is coming back except for one player - senior London Loftice. "In 16 years, I've never seen a game decided by a ball hitting a continued on page 5
