Indians wrap up top seed

East Bay takes another close one from Plant to finish first in the district.

By THOMAS SIMONETTI
Published April 13, 2005

GIBSONTON - Rivalries tend to bring out the best in teams, and what a rivalry East Bay and Plant have had this season.

For the second time in a row, the teams battled to the final innings with East Bay coming out on top Tuesday. The Indians' 3-0 victory gives them the top seed for the Class 5A, District 8 tournament.

Plant swept East Bay in three games last season but the Indians returned the favor this year. After a lopsided first game, the teams battled to a 1-0 eight-inning game in the Spring Fling Invitational on March26, then Tuesday's game, which was scoreless after 61/2 innings.

"It's about as good as it's going to get," East Bay coach Glenn Rodriguez said. "You go eight innings (last game) and we go all the way to the sixth inning (Tuesday) and both teams are slugging away at it."

A three-run sixth inning for the Indians, along with Ashley Urbanik's complete-game shutout, made the difference Tuesday.

"We were ready for this game," said Urbanik (11-4), who has signed with Saint Leo. Urbanik struck out eight and gave up three hits while walking two.

"Every time against Plant I'm more pumped up than any other game," she said. "They say last game that they should have won and that they gave (the win) to us. So we were all ready."

The Indians (17-5) managed two hits off Plant starter Kelly Betts until the big sixth inning, when rightfielder Albanic Gant led off the inning with a single. Urbanik doubled in Gant and scored on a bunt by shortstop Ashley Greene. An RBI single by third baseman Chantelle Doane made it 3-0.

Betts (7-2) was charged with the loss, her second this season to East Bay. She gave up three runs on six hits, struck out six and walked one. In the Spring Fling against the Indians, Betts threw a no-hitter only to lose when a run scored on a wild pitch.

Both East Bay and Plant (17-5) will have a first-round bye in the district tournament. If both teams win out, they will meet in the final.

"This was for No.1 seed," Plant coach Sally Scudder said. "So basically this means that in two weeks we get a do over. So it's not anything too tragic. It would have been nice to get the top seed but we get another shot - assuming both teams get (to the final)."

[Last modified April 13, 2005, 01:30:19]