Softball
Monday, May 18, 2009
Elmore’s clutch hit sends Forrest title defense back to the big stage
Many of the doubters were silenced on Friday night at the Field of Dreams in Chapel Hill as the Forrest Lady Rockets came from behind, knocking off the Summertown Lady Eagles 4-3 in a Class A sectional game.
After Summertown took a 3-1 lead in the 4th inning, Forrest came back to tie the game in the 5th and went ahead for good in the sixth on a clutch two-out hit by senior Brianda Elmore.
Forrest ace, Shelby Stinnett spun some gold in the 7th, working her way out of a bases loaded no out jam, identical to the one she got out of versus Trinity Christian in last year’s title game.
Again, it was third baseman Rachel Curtis who fielded the last out, sending the champs back to the ‘Boro’.
Asked about those doubters and how she thinks her team stacks up to the other seven teams that qualified Friday night, Forrest head coach Becky Cheatham said, “Well, we may not be the same team, but reckon we could be getting better and the deeper we go, the more confident I become. You don’t grow without troubling.”
The defending state champion Lady Rockets return to the Blue Cross Spring Fling for a fourth consecutive season, the longest streak in the school’s history.
Cheatham added, “The pressure is on us. Once you have been there you want to go again. And anything less than that is going to be a disappointment and that is pressure. In the end, you never give up and you never give in.”
That mantra was last year’s battle cry and remains the same for the Lady Rockets, who have also been runners-up twice, in 2002 and 2007.
After Stinnett got out of a two-on two-out jam in the top of the first, Forrest got on the board as Haley Mathis continued her great post-season with a leadoff bunt single.
Elmore sacrificed Mathis to second, bringing up Stinnett. Summertown pitcher Tasha Horne uncorked a wild pitch, sending Mathis to third.
Cheatham has never been afraid to play ‘small ball’ to win and called for the squeeze by Stinnett, who laid it down perfectly, scoring Mathis and taking first base.
The lead stayed at 1-0 Forrest until the third when Summertown tied the game on an RBI double to the right field fence by Carly Harville.
In the Summertown fourth, the Lady Eagles rallied for two runs, taking a 3-1 lead. The big blow was a two-out two-run double by Kayla Long.
Forrest came to the dish in the fifth at the top of the order and Mathis came through, using her blazing speed to beat out an infield single. Elmore flied out to right and came back to the dugout disappointed.
Stinnett singled to left and Ciara Cook came in as a courtesy runner. Horne got Curtis on a check swing grounder back to the box, moving the runners up to second and third.
Heather James stepped in and ripped a single to right field, scoring Mathis easily and Cook followed, sliding under the tag at home.
Summertown got their first two runners on in the sixth before Stinnett got the next three in order.
Freshman Adrean Jordan led of the Forrest half of the inning, singling to right. Another frosh, Courtney Hollandsworth laid down a picture perfect sac bunt, sending Jordan to second.
A pop-out to second made it two outs. Mathis bounced a ball back to the pitcher who bobbled, allowing Mathis to reach first.
Elmore, no longer disappointed was ready and as she has done in the past in spots just like this, Elmore delivered with a sharp single to right that scored Jordan.
Forrest took the 3-2 lead to the bottom of the seventh, three outs from Murfreesboro.
They would not be an easy three outs to get as Summertown was not going to go back to Lawrence County without a fight.
Ashley Evans banged a leadoff single, Harville reached on an error, and Horne followed with a single to center, loading the sacks with no outs.
Same jam Stinnett and the Lady Rockets faced last year in the big game.
A short fly ball to right made it one down. Long hit a hard shot to shortstop James, who fired low to FHS catcher Caitlyn Rotchford, who held on for the force-out call.
Summertown head Bobby Wyrick coach argued the call, to no avail.
Stinnett wanted to keep the ball down, forcing a ground ball for a force at any base and did just that as Allie Bennifield bounced the yellow sphere directly to Curtis at third, who took a couple of hops to the white square, ending the ballgame and sending the crowd and the players into hysteria, on and off the field.
After the game, an elated Elmore talked about her big go-ahead hit saying, “Any of our girls want to be in the spot right there when it comes up. That is what you play for. This type game, the pressure is on you. All eyes are on you and when the pitch comes you just have to go with it. Emotions were high and low this game, I love it.”
Forrest (23-7) opens up their title defense Tuesday versus Midway (25-4) and could face a re-match with cross county rival Cornersville (33-4) Wednesday if both squads win in the opening round.
After Summertown took a 3-1 lead in the 4th inning, Forrest came back to tie the game in the 5th and went ahead for good in the sixth on a clutch two-out hit by senior Brianda Elmore.
Forrest ace, Shelby Stinnett spun some gold in the 7th, working her way out of a bases loaded no out jam, identical to the one she got out of versus Trinity Christian in last year’s title game.
Again, it was third baseman Rachel Curtis who fielded the last out, sending the champs back to the ‘Boro’.
Asked about those doubters and how she thinks her team stacks up to the other seven teams that qualified Friday night, Forrest head coach Becky Cheatham said, “Well, we may not be the same team, but reckon we could be getting better and the deeper we go, the more confident I become. You don’t grow without troubling.”
The defending state champion Lady Rockets return to the Blue Cross Spring Fling for a fourth consecutive season, the longest streak in the school’s history.
Cheatham added, “The pressure is on us. Once you have been there you want to go again. And anything less than that is going to be a disappointment and that is pressure. In the end, you never give up and you never give in.”
That mantra was last year’s battle cry and remains the same for the Lady Rockets, who have also been runners-up twice, in 2002 and 2007.
After Stinnett got out of a two-on two-out jam in the top of the first, Forrest got on the board as Haley Mathis continued her great post-season with a leadoff bunt single.
Elmore sacrificed Mathis to second, bringing up Stinnett. Summertown pitcher Tasha Horne uncorked a wild pitch, sending Mathis to third.
Cheatham has never been afraid to play ‘small ball’ to win and called for the squeeze by Stinnett, who laid it down perfectly, scoring Mathis and taking first base.
The lead stayed at 1-0 Forrest until the third when Summertown tied the game on an RBI double to the right field fence by Carly Harville.
In the Summertown fourth, the Lady Eagles rallied for two runs, taking a 3-1 lead. The big blow was a two-out two-run double by Kayla Long.
Forrest came to the dish in the fifth at the top of the order and Mathis came through, using her blazing speed to beat out an infield single. Elmore flied out to right and came back to the dugout disappointed.
Stinnett singled to left and Ciara Cook came in as a courtesy runner. Horne got Curtis on a check swing grounder back to the box, moving the runners up to second and third.
Heather James stepped in and ripped a single to right field, scoring Mathis easily and Cook followed, sliding under the tag at home.
Summertown got their first two runners on in the sixth before Stinnett got the next three in order.
Freshman Adrean Jordan led of the Forrest half of the inning, singling to right. Another frosh, Courtney Hollandsworth laid down a picture perfect sac bunt, sending Jordan to second.
A pop-out to second made it two outs. Mathis bounced a ball back to the pitcher who bobbled, allowing Mathis to reach first.
Elmore, no longer disappointed was ready and as she has done in the past in spots just like this, Elmore delivered with a sharp single to right that scored Jordan.
Forrest took the 3-2 lead to the bottom of the seventh, three outs from Murfreesboro.
They would not be an easy three outs to get as Summertown was not going to go back to Lawrence County without a fight.
Ashley Evans banged a leadoff single, Harville reached on an error, and Horne followed with a single to center, loading the sacks with no outs.
Same jam Stinnett and the Lady Rockets faced last year in the big game.
A short fly ball to right made it one down. Long hit a hard shot to shortstop James, who fired low to FHS catcher Caitlyn Rotchford, who held on for the force-out call.
Summertown head Bobby Wyrick coach argued the call, to no avail.
Stinnett wanted to keep the ball down, forcing a ground ball for a force at any base and did just that as Allie Bennifield bounced the yellow sphere directly to Curtis at third, who took a couple of hops to the white square, ending the ballgame and sending the crowd and the players into hysteria, on and off the field.
After the game, an elated Elmore talked about her big go-ahead hit saying, “Any of our girls want to be in the spot right there when it comes up. That is what you play for. This type game, the pressure is on you. All eyes are on you and when the pitch comes you just have to go with it. Emotions were high and low this game, I love it.”
Forrest (23-7) opens up their title defense Tuesday versus Midway (25-4) and could face a re-match with cross county rival Cornersville (33-4) Wednesday if both squads win in the opening round.
