Cougars bust out in early explosion

Countryside scores eight times in the first to cruise past Fort Myers.

By DAN DELUCA
Published May 11, 2005

FORT MYERS - Countryside coach Kaylyn Bayly knows how important first-inning runs can be in the playoffs, especially on the road.

Apparently, so do the players.

Countryside exploded for eight runs in the top of the first inning to cruise to an 11-1, five-inning victory over Fort Myers.

"You always feel a little sluggish when you start off after a long bus ride so that was huge for us," said Bayly of the Cougars' start. "But eight runs was a little more than we expected."

Countryside (18-11) sent 12 batters to the plate in the opening frame but only two of the Cougars' five singles left the infield. They capitalized on three costly errors by the Green Wave to build a virtually insurmountable lead."You can't have an inning like that in a game like this against a team like Countryside," Fort Myers coach Nick Powell said.

The Cougars' fast start allowed freshman pitcher Danielle Baker to focus merely on throwing strikes. She scattered six hits and walked one, while fanning three. Sophomore shortstop GiOnna DiSalvatore had three singles and scored two runs for Countryside while junior second baseman Emilee Venable added two hits and an RBI.

The Cougars' victory sets up a regional final rematch at Palm Harbor (27-0) Friday. The Hurricanes defeated Countryside 2-0 last year on their way to the Class 5A state championship and have beaten the Cougars three times this season by a combined score of 11-0.

"All we have to do is hit and we can beat them," Bayly said. "I feel like defensively we're as good or better than they are. It all depends on how we swing the bats."

[Last modified May 11, 2005, 00:47:09]