'Canes in bind minus star

Alycia LePage is a good player. So good, in fact, that filling her shoes might seem to be an impossible task.

Citrus coach Scott Waters is finding out.

A problematic shoulder will keep his star shortstop out of the lineup at least three weeks.

"It hurts big time," said Waters, who has been without LePage since a 2-1 loss to Crystal River on Feb. 26. "She's our best bunter. She's our fastest player. And she's one of our best power hitters. It puts a big hole in our lineup."

LePage, who is batting .350 in the leadoff spot and has a team-high nine runs scored, had been experiencing pain in her right shoulder since early in the season. Though the injury appears to be minor, the Hurricanes (6-3) aren't taking any chances.

"I'd rather lose her for two weeks and have her back for the stretch run at the end of the season than stick her in early and risk hurting it again," Waters said. "We'll miss her, because she's a spark plug. But if everyone else would step up and hit when they're supposed to, we'll be alright."

The loss hurts Citrus in hitting and fielding and has forced Waters to make some changes. The 'Canes are 3-2 since losing LePage. They're coming off a 6-1 loss to Williston, a team Citrus beat with LePage in the lineup.

Third baseman Ashley Worrell will take over at shortstop, and first baseman Krissi Castiglione moves to third. Brittney Doyle will come off the bench and play first base.

Filling the hole left in the batting order seems to be the biggest problem. Waters says he will try several combinations with his top four hitters but expects to move centerfielder Jessica Macdonald to the leadoff position.

Waters prefers to look on the positive side rather than dwell on the negatives.

"I think it should help us in the long run," he said. "Obviously we're struggling a bit right now. But I think getting more playing time for everybody will help us down the stretch. If we do have to bring someone off the bench, they won't be coming in cold."

PIRATES TAKE CONTROL: Crystal River's 6-0 victory over Central on Wednesday was notable. It marked the Pirates' seventh consecutive win since a season-opening loss to Belleview, and it gave them sole possession of first place in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference.

The topper? It was the first game this season in which Crystal River did not commit an error.

"I was going in expecting to win, but I was expecting a closer game," Pirates coach Lanna Hough said. "Melissa (Coburn) had seven ground balls and got them all. Ashley (Williams) had three. Usually we make two or three errors, but we didn't make any."

The victory and the hot start also have drawn the inevitable comparisons to the 1997 Crystal River team that advanced to the final four.

There are only a handful of people qualified to make that comparison, and Hough is one. "They're good," said Hough, who posted a 21-4 record that year as the Pirates' starting pitcher. "We have a good shot at going to state. All the players are there. We have the pitching. We have good defense. We have the hitting. We have all the elements."

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