By Jayson Larson Editor
July 11, 2008 10:06 am
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Nothing like a bang-bang play at the plate to clinch a state tournament berth.
Athens Show Time centerfielder Kylie Cincar gunned down what would have been the tying run to end the game in her team’s 3-2 win over the Mildred Lady Longhorns Thursday night at the Texas Teen-Age Softball district tournament played at Cain Park.
Show Time was scheduled to play at 6 p.m. today in the championship game against the Edgewood Lady Dogs, a 5-3 winner over the Lady Longhorns in Thursday’s nightcap. They would have to lose twice to finish second, as they’ve cruised through the weeklong tournament undefeated. The top two teams in the tournament will advance to the state tournament, which will be played in West later this month.
Cincar’s throw put an abrupt end to the Lady Longhorns’ two-run rally in the bottom of the sixth. Equally as impressive was Show Time catcher Destinie McCracken, who held on to Cincar’s one-hop throw and made the tag on Brianna Weaver even as she was bowled over at home plate.
“I told them they couldn’t have made that any closer,” a relieved Show Time head coach Dusty Windham said. “It was just an excellent throw, that’s all you can really say about it. I was worried that, as hard as they collided (at the plate), Destinie wasn’t going to hang on to the ball.”
The Lady Longhorns began their sixth-inning rally when Callie Bland led off with her team’s first hit of the game off Show Time starter Hannah Windham. Bland moved to second and then third on a wild pitch and an error and scored on Reagan Critten’s RBI groundout to short.
Olivia Farmer then flew out to Allisson Kalawe in right for the second out before Annah O’Connor walked and scored on an error to cut the lead to 3-2.
Weaver followed with a single to center, and moments later she stood on second after stealing a base. Kaitlin Gorden, who pinch hit in the fourth, then stepped to the plate and hit a 1-0 pitch to centerfield, where Cincar picked up the ball and became a hero.
Before the wild finish, Hannah Windham cruised through the first five innings with few problems. She recorded all eight of her strikeouts over those first five and allowed only one runner to third. The Lady Longhorns, who found themselves behind at the plate often, were 0-11 in 0-2 or 1-2 counts.
But Farmer, the Lady Longhorn starter, was doing a little dazzling of her own on the way to a 10-strikeout game. Her downfall turned out to be mistakes to lead-off hitters. Show Time (13-1) got the lead-off hitter on in five of six innings. Three of those runs came around to score — all with two outs.
Tanner Choate led the game off with a single for Show Time and scored on Shelby Bagby’s RBI single on a full count with two outs for a 1-0 lead. Cincar led off the second with a walk and scored thanks to a pair of wild pitches and an error.
Show Time tacked on a crucial run in the top of the sixth when Kelsi Lookabaugh took a five-pitch walk to start the inning. She scored on a single by ReeAnn Richards, who had two of Show Time’s four hits.
SHOW TIME 3, LADY LONGHORNS 2
Athens 1 1 0 0 0 1 — 3 4 3
Mildred 0 0 0 0 0 2 — 2 3 2
WP — Hannah Windham. LP — Olivia Farmer.
Top hitters — A: ReeAnn Richards 2-3, SB; Tanner Choate 1-3, BB, run; Shelby Bagby 1-3, RBI. M: Callie Bland 1-3, run; Brianna Weaver 1-2, HBP, SB; Kaitlin Gorden 1-2.
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