Gaither doesn't repeat mistakes

By ROD GIPSON
Published April 19, 2007

TAMPA - Gaither was determined to avoid a repeat.

So the Cowboys didn't worry Wednesday when Mitchell took the lead in their Class 6A, District 7 semifinal contest. The Cowboys didn't seem concerned when the Mustangs retook the lead, either.

Or when a baserunning error left a potential game-winning run out at the plate. Through it all, Gaither was focused only on not losing again to Mitchell in the district semifinals - as was the case a year ago.

And it took 10 innings for Gaither to pull that off, finally getting a single to center from Lauren Elgar to score Katie Forbes that lifted the Cowboys to a 3-2 win and send them to today's 7 p.m. championship game against Countryside.

The Cougars controlled the other semifinal, topping Sickles 8-2.

Gaither (20-6) received an outstanding pitching performance from Morgan Grove, who struck out 15 and allowed two hits (both doubles). The Cowboys also had to overcome six fielding errors and a fifth-inning gaffe when Megan Clark ran home from third but failed to touch the plate and was tagged out.

But the Cowboys, who never led in the game until winning it, managed to tie the score in the bottom of the seventh, sending the game to extra innings.

"I told them to step up right now or pack it up," Gaither coach Al Alcala said of his team's late-inning heroics. "I thought it was going to be a repeat of last year. I take my hat off to Morgan. She pitched a heck of a game."

Countryside, meanwhile, had a much easier time as pitcher Desiree Baker controlled the Sickles' hitters for most of the contest. She pitched a complete game six-hitter to improve to 17-4 and added a double in the six-run third inning.

Alyssa Albritton had a home run and a three-run double for Countryside, ranked sixth in Class 6A.

"We did some nice hitting," said Countryside coach Kaylyn Bayly. "Sickles has an outstanding team. We made some mistakes, but we made enough plays and got some hits to win it."

[Last modified April 19, 2007, 01:15:05]