Sports

Errors end Lancers' title hopes

By KEITH NIEBUHR and ROD GIPSON
Published May 9, 2006

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PLANT CITY - Following Monday's 4-1 loss to Hollywood Sheridan Hills Christian in the state semifinals at Plant City Stadium, the voice of Cambridge coach Steve Gonzalez cracked as he tried to describe his team's effort. To his left, shortstop Brittany Williams, a senior making her fifth trip to the final four, spoke of the hurt in knowing her prep career was over as a tear ran down her cheek. A foot or so away, senior catcher Valerie Kessel consoled red-eyed freshman pitcher Alexis Caruso with a bear hug that lasted for what seemed like a minute.

To each, the season's end seemed so incredibly surreal.

"We feel like we should be playing again tomorrow," Williams said.

That the Lancers won't came as somewhat of a shock to many. Cambridge not only held the edge in tradition (it owns a three championships to none lead), but in experience. Four players for the senior-laden Lancers had participated in three or more final fours.

On Monday, though, none of that mattered.

Simply put, this game was about fielding. Sheridan Hills Christian (17-7) was flawless with the glove. Cambridge (21-5), which committed seven errors, was not.

"They were the turning point in the game," Gonzalez said.

Errors played a part in every Sharks run, which offset a solid performance in which Caruso allowed only three hits. The low point for Cambridge came in the fifth, when it booted four balls.

"It just kind of snowballed," Gonzalez said.

The Lancers also had trouble at the plate and finished with an uncharacteristically low three hits that came in the team's first three at-bats. WILLISTON 4, WEST NASSAU 3: Gabrielle Harris hit a three-run home run early and Taylor Rice's single knocked in Margaret Brown late as Williston opened the Class 3A semifinals. Harris' second-inning homer gave Williston (20-5) a 3-0 lead, though West Nassau (27-4) rebounded with a run in the second and two more in the third. The game remained tied at 3 until the sixth when Rice's single scored Brown. Williston pitcher Roxzanne Rawls picked up her 20th win after holding the Warriors to five hits while striking out one and walking none. FROSTPROOF 3, MIAMI GULLIVER PREP 1: Frostproof (20-8) used a Samantha Smith no-hitter to advance to the Class 3A final. While Smith did control Gulliver's bats, the Raiders didn't help themselves, making three errors, including two that led to two Frostproof runs in the third. Besides the sixth inning when the Raiders scored their run, Smith didn't allow a runner past first base, though she did yield three walks.

ORLANDO PINE CASTLE CHRISTIAN 4, JACKSONVILLE EAGLE'S VIEW 2: With the Class A semifinal scoreless in the sixth inning, Pine Castle's Sonja Hanson doubled before scoring off Leah Ritchhart's single. Pine Castle added another run when Lizzie Houstoun scored on a wild pitch. But Eagle's View bounced back with two runs in the bottom of the sixth to send the game tied to the seventh inning. But Hanson struck again, connecting on a two-run home run to send the Eagles (23-4) to the state final.

SCHEDULE: At Plant City Stadium

CLASS 6A: Friday - Spruce Creek vs. Melbourne Eau Gallie, 2 p.m. Palm Beach Gardens vs. Miami Palmetto, noon. Saturday - Final, 1 p.m.

CLASS 5A: Friday - Pace vs. Auburndale, 5 p.m. Chamberlain vs. West Boca Raton, 7. Saturday - Final, 3 p.m.

CLASS 4A: Wednesday - Navarre vs. Palatka, 5 p.m. Bartow vs. Cocoa, 7. Thursday - Final, 7 p.m.

CLASS 3A: Today's final - Williston vs. Frostproof, 7 p.m.

CLASS 2A: Wednesday - Wewahitchka vs. Jacksonville Bishop Snyder, 2 p.m. Mount Dora Bible vs. Hollywood Christian, noon. Thursday - Final, 5 p.m.

CLASS A: Today's final - Hollywood Sheridan Hills Christian vs. Orlando Pine Castle Christian, 5 p.m.

[Last modified May 9, 2006, 00:42:06]

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