Speedy Mustangs get it done

Mitchell tops error-prone SAC foe Zephyrhills 6-3.

By STEVE LEE
Published April 22, 2005

ZEPHYRHILLS - Team speed is what Zephyrhills lacked and Mitchell had plenty of in Thursday's Sunshine Athletic Conference matchup.

And that's what made the difference in the Mustangs' 6-3 win, which left both teams tied for second in the conference (8-2) behind four-time champion River Ridge (9-1).

Zephyrhills (16-6 overall) outhit Mitchell 9-6, but had two runners thrown out on the base paths and hit into a double play.

Conversely, the Mustangs (19-4) ran the bases aggressively and capitalized on four errors, all in a five-run sixth that included four hits and a hit batter.

"We have some speed," Mitchell coach Scott Bisbe said. "If we get going on the bases, the teams are hurrying their throws. It makes things happen."

Zephyrhills coach Craig Milburn concurred, adding, "the baserunning is what kind of created their big inning."

Trailing 2-1, Mitchell sent nine to the plate in the sixth to take the lead. Ashley Stager's two-run single and Jamie Case's RBI single keyed the rally, kept alive by pitcher Sarah Johnson's three errors and one by leftfielder Angela Carroll.

Ashley Ritz led off with a single before Johnson (8-4) made a fielding error and a throwing error to leave the bases loaded for Stager, who hit a two-run single. Courtney Stager, Ashley's sister, was hit by a pitch before Johnson made an errant throw home on Cassie Markham's suicide squeeze. Two runs scored on Case's single with Case taking second on Carroll's error.

Mitchell took a 1-0 lead in the fourth when Layne Spencer led off with a double and scored on Courtney Stager's groundout.

Zephyrhills overcame that deficit to take a 2-1 lead in the fifth. Jessica Davis hit a leadoff single and scored on Aljenaye Black's bunt single. Black stole second, advanced to third on Hillary Tunker's sacrifice bunt and scored on a wild pitch.

Carly Mitchell (13-3) struck out two and walked one to earn the win.

"It was on the line (Thursday)," said Milburn, adding that the outcome "shouldn't have been as bad as it was. We just didn't execute."

[Last modified April 22, 2005, 00:44:19]