Despite a cold, Newsome powers Pasco's shutouts

The Pirates' sophomore comes out swinging vs. Sunlake, Springstead.

By Joey Knight, Times Staff Writer
Published March 6, 2008

DADE CITY - By the end of Pasco's rare, rain-forced doubleheader Wednesday night, the head cold swirling through sophomore Megan Newsome's nasal passages also had caused her to nearly lose her voice.

But not her bat speed.

Medicating beforehand with sweet tea, a pressed Cuban sandwich and Tylenol, the Pirates' ill No. 2 batter became downright sick - in the astounding-performance sense of the adjective - at the plate.

After homering in Wednesday's 8-0 opener against Sunlake, Newsome really caught fire in the nightcap against Springstead. She doubled her first two at-bats, then hit a two-run blast to rightfield in a six-run fifth inning that gave Pasco a 10-0 lead and ended the game via the mercy rule.

"I was on today," said Newsome, her soft voice hindered by congestion and a sore throat. "I haven't been hitting really good lately, and tonight was just my night."

Newsome, who finished the evening 4-for-6, was the only Pirate to get a hit in the first two innings against Springstead right-handed ace Becky Powell, whose velocity stood in stark contrast to the offspeed stuff Pasco (10-0) had just seen against Sunlake.

Powell struck out five consecutive Pasco hitters in the first two innings before the Pirates' bats caught up to her in the third. Newsome's first double of the game was sandwiched between Colesa Lazar's double and Lucy Schneider's single during a three-run third.

"It really hurts when you're going from a slow pitcher to a fast pitcher because your timing is way off," Pirates coach Shamalene Broner said. "You can actually make an adjustment better when ... you go from fast to slow because it's just like a changeup."

Powell would fan only two Pirates over the final three innings. Ahead 4-0 entering the fifth, Pasco opened the inning with five consecutive hits - including Newsome's homer - and ended the game on freshman Courtney Brandt's two-run homer to left.

Springstead (6-2), meantime, managed only one hit off Pirates junior left-handed ace Colena Lazar, who struck out five.

"The second time around they put the bat on the ball, so I was really surprised and happy about that actually," Broner said of her batting order. "Normally it takes us a couple times through to make the adjustment. And it seemed like it was a little domino effect."

[Last modified March 5, 2008, 23:44:46]