Mitchell's Carly Mitchell wins a pitching duel against River Ridge's Kiki Von Holt.
By STEVE LEE
Published March 24, 2004
NEW PORT RICHEY - Pitching. It almost always comes down to pitching in the Mitchell-River Ridge series.
Carly Mitchell won a duel against Kiki Von Holt on Tuesday, leading the visiting Mustangs to a 3-0 win.
Mitchell (6-1) tossed a one-hitter and Von Holt (7-1) allowed four hits in her - and her team's - first loss this season.
"The pitching is just so good," Mitchell coach Scott Bisbe said, echoing River Ridge coach Ernie Beck's assessment after Von Holt's one-hitter in the Knights' 4-0 win over the Mustangs on March 4.
River Ridge, which leads the all-time series 7-2, could have clinched the No.1 seed with a win over its Class 5A, District 5 rival. The Knights are 9-1, 3-1 in the district; the Mustangs improved to 10-2, 2-1.
"It's big, but we still have Land O'Lakes yet," Bisbe said of his team's remaining district game. "If we don't beat Land O'Lakes, it's not going to matter."
In River Ridge's win over Mitchell earlier this month, the game was scoreless until the fourth inning. Scoreless play lasted longer this time with Mitchell scoring all of its runs in the sixth.
Mitchell got a break after Cassie Markham drew a leadoff walk. Layne Spencer bunted and first baseman Deanna Kiesel fielded the ball, but threw it into centerfield for an error. Trish Blankenship's sacrifice bunt moved runners to second and third with one out.
In the fifth, Von Holt had worked out of a similar situation by flipping the ball to catcher Danielle Denney, who tagged out Alicia Neelen on Amanda Graham's bunt. Von Holt then struck out Jamie Case.
Von Holt did not get out of the same jam in the sixth. Ashley Stager bunted for a suicide squeeze as Markham beat Von Holt's throw home.
The Mustangs added two more runs in the inning. Michele McDonald's single scored Spencer and Stager tagged up on centerfielder Stephanie Seaman's diving catch of Neelen's sinking line drive.
"It was almost the exact kind of game (as the River Ridge win)," Bisbe said of Tuesday's contest. "We just rattled them around with a few bunts."
Janet Houck had the lone Knights hit, a one-out single in the first. She also had perhaps the hardest-hit ball of the game, which turned into the second out in the bottom of the seventh.
Houck's liner smacked Mitchell in the thigh, and dropped behind the pitcher. But Mitchell whirled, picked up the loose ball and threw out Houck before doubling over in pain.
Mitchell composed herself to fan Von Holt for the final out.
