The six to watch

By BOB PUTNAM
Published April 16, 2006

Softball's postseason begins Monday with the district tournaments. The finalists advance to the 32-team state tournament. Champions host in the first round while runnersup open on the road.

Who will be in? These six might have a big say.

Most days, GiOnna DiSalvatore is on a field taking extra batting practice or doing extra glove work with her father, Joe, a Countryside assistant. The junior shortstop's obsession with perfection paid off when she committed early to softball powerhouse UCLA.

DiSalvatore hit .500 with 34 RBIs, 30 runs and nine doubles as a sophomore and was named Times first-team all-county and All-Suncoast and honorable mention all-state.

This season, DiSalvatore is hitting .480 with 25 RBIs and 10 doubles. She'll be needed in one of the county's most wide-open districts. Countryside fell behind in the district race before rallying with wins against Alonso, Gaither and Sickles.

Tara Toscano is the archetypal leadoff hitter - a scrapper who can drop a bunt, slap a hit or work the count to reach first. Last season, the Palm Harbor U. shortstop got on base and scored a lot. She had a team-best 29 runs as she helped the Hurricanes go undefeated and win their second straight state title.

Toscano, a senior, is the leader on a team that has six freshman starters. She still gets things going as the leadoff hitter but takes a different approach once she gets on. With the mound moved from 40 to 43 feet, the tide has turned in the hitter's favor. So instead of generating one run at a time, Toscano sits tight and waits until a teammate launches one. The strategy has worked. Toscano is hitting .530 and has scored 28 runs.

Boca Ciega has always been a consistent winner as evidenced by its appearance in the Pinellas County Athletic Conference final the past two seasons.

But the Pirates' success has gone largely unnoticed because they didn't have that one player who could grab the spotlight.

That changed this season with Christina Hughes.

She is 9-5 with a 1.96 ERA. Better still, she led Boca Ciega to its first win over Seminole in nearly a decade. In the rematch, Hughes again came through, retiring the side in the seventh to preserve the win.

Another game against the Warhawks looms in the final.

Deanna Henriott can make batters swing at the air, freeze in place, miss pitches they cannot see.

The St. Petersburg Catholic junior has been almost untouchable, allowing just 28 hits, striking out 206 and throwing six no-hitters.

Her ridiculous numbers are a surprise considering pitchers were supposed to struggle adapting to the new mound. Among the gems this season is an 11-strikeout one-hitter against Seminole and a 13-strikeout perfect game against Tampa Catholic. She even stood out in losses, striking out 19 and allowing two hits in a 1-0 loss to Academy of the Holy Names.

Henriott beat the Jaguars in the rematch, and the teams likely will meet in the final.

When opponents get on base, Northside Christian catcher Danielle Crisco makes sure they don't go far. She has not allowed a stolen base and has picked off nearly 20 runners. Her defensive prowess is a big reason the Mustangs secured the No. 2 seed after going 6-16 last year. She also has been instrumental in the development of pitchers Kirstie Fisher and Stephanie Bonalewicz.

Northside's other fielders have showed better instincts and stronger grasp of fundamentals. Defense will be key for the Mustangs. They committed a season-high 10 errors in a loss to top seed Bradenton St. Stephens. CLASS A, DISTRICT 11

Canterbury's offense packs a wallop. Three players are batting above .600, and the Crusaders often produce football-like scores.

The run support has taken the burden off Jennifer Crosthwaite, a sixth-grader and the team's ace.

Still, Crosthwaite has done a good job of keeping opponents off the scoreboard.

She has started every game and is 19-0 with a 2.79 ERA.

Crosthwaite should be able to keep opponent's scoring down this week. After all, Canterbury is undefeated in this three-team district.

[Last modified April 16, 2006, 00:43:12]