CLASS 4A: After winning past three games by 10 runs each, River Ridge edges Vanguard 3-1.
By STEVE LEE
Published May 9, 2003
[Times photo: Lance Rothstein]
River Ridge's Kaydee Donovan is safe at third base as Ocala Vanguard's Purvi Sheth waits for the throw during the Region 2 semifinal.
NEW PORT RICHEY - River Ridge coach Ernie Beck has been quick to point out how his team won close games earlier this season.
Before Thursday, the Royal Knights had won big in the postseason by scoring 10 runs in each of their two district and a region quarterfinal victory.
River Ridge's 3-1 win against Ocala Vanguard in the Region 2 semifinal proved Beck to be a man of his word.
That margin could have been greater if the Knights had not stranded nine baserunners.
"You score half of those and it's 7-0, but we didn't," Beck said. "We got enough to win."
River Ridge (26-3) plays host to Palatka, a winner over Mitchell, at 7 p.m. Saturday. The winner advances to the final four.
Starter Kiki Von Holt (18-3) had a one-hitter heading into the top of the seventh inning, but Vanguard scored a run on three hits. Von Holt settled for a four-hitter with nine strikeouts and no walks.
"You know the pitching is there," Beck said. "If she's got her stuff she's going to keep you in the game."
Added Vanguard coach Cathy Beebe, "We were having a lot of trouble with her rise ball."
Vanguard (24-7) had a case of the jitters in the second when the Knights scored two unearned runs.
The Kiesel sisters, Deanna and Danielle, each had singles in that inning with Danielle driving in Morisa Moe, a pinch-runner for Von Holt who reached on an error by leftfielder Kelsey Broadbent. Deanna Kiesel scored on an infield error.
River Ridge added an insurance run in the sixth. Von Holt doubled down the leftfield line, and pinch-runner Ashley Andreas scored on Meghan Chaple's two-out single.
That run came in handy when Vanguard's Purvi Sheth singled and scored on Broadbent's two-out single in the seventh.
Learning that Vanguard won a school-record 24 games and was playing in its first region semifinal, Beck said Beebe had "nothing to be ashamed of. I'm just glad she's going home."
