CLASS 3A: Hurricanes' fifth-inning error allows two Cocoa runners to score winning runs.
By KEITH NIEBUHR
Published May 9, 2003
COCOA - Citrus couldn't have drawn it up better.
With two out and runners at second and third base in the fifth inning of a tied game against Cocoa in the Region 2 semifinal, the Hurricanes got the ground ball they figured would save them. But between Kristen Gordon's bat and the glove of sure-handed senior shortstop Alycia LePage, things got complicated.
The ball, it seems, had other plans.
As LePage prepared to field it, a Cocoa runner got in the way. By the time she was out of LePage's sight, the ball was right in front on her. It took a funny hop and squirted off LePage's glove into centerfield.
Two runs scored, and the Tigers hung on for a 4-2 win.
"I thought it actually hit her foot," LePage said. "It came out so wild."
Another Citrus error on a misplayed bunt set the table for Cocoa (24-5). Had it not been for their four errors, the Hurricanes (19-8) might have won.
"It was the errors that cost us," Citrus coach Scott Waters said.
That and the Gordon's pitching.
The hard-throwing Cocoa freshman lived up to her billing with an impressive two-hitter. She struck out eight and threw at speeds Citrus players said they weren't accustomed to seeing. Both Citrus runs were unearned, the result of errors on back-to-back plays after Gordon (19-3) walked consecutive batters to start the fourth.
The second Cocoa error allowed Citrus to tie it at 2.
"It felt good," Waters said. "I was optimistic."
But with the score tied and runners at first and second with no outs, Gordon delivered three consecutive strikeouts to end the inning.
"Those were big-time strikeouts," Citrus catcher Whitney Gelin said. "That kid is really going to be good."
Citrus stayed in it because of the strong pitching of senior Megan Rall (14-6), who allowed six hits and worked out of several jams.
