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By JAMAL THALJI, LINDA ROTHSTEIN and STEVE LEE
© St. Petersburg Times, published February 20, 2001
Softball
Clutch hitting, pitching lead Gators
Land O'Lakes is off to a 3-0 start thanks to clutch hitting in the middle of the lineup.
For example, in Friday's 5-0 win over Central, cleanup hitter Michelle Hausman, No. 5 hitter Erica Skillman and No. 6 hitter Jen Savage combined for four hits and five RBI.
Hausman went 2-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored, Skillman went 1-for-3 with a sacrifice fly and two RBI and Savage hit a double and batted in a run.
The middle got plenty of help from the top of the order as well as the Gators combined for a total of eight hits. Leadoff hitter April Slate hit two singles and scored a run, No. 2 hitter Lauren Mays reached on a walk and scored a run and No. 3 hitter Ashley Patton went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases and two runs scored.
Pitching hasn't hurt the undefeated Gators, either. Patton, the Times Player of the Year last year, didn't give up any freebies Friday night.
The senior ace allowed just three hits, struck out 11 and walked none in seven innings to garner her second win of the season.
Land O'Lakes now faces Class 4A, District 9 rival Springstead tonight at 6.
The preseason isn't always a good gauge of how a team will do in the regular season.
River Ridge lost to East Lake and Gaither in the preseason, but has gone on to start the regular season 2-0
River Ridge defeated its first two opponents by the mercy rule.
In the first game, the Royal Knights downed Clearwater Central Catholic 16-0 in five innings and later beat first-year Mitchell 22-0, also in five innings.
Junior pitcher Christine Beck has won both games and has given up no runs. She's also doing some damage at the plate with two doubles and a triple.
Sophomore Stefanie Simon owns a .429 batting average with two singles, a triple and four RBI.
"It's just been a real good effort on everybody's part," coach Ernie Beck said. "It seems like they just keep hitting and doing the job."
This week will provide a better test for the undefeated Royal Knights as they take on Wesley Chapel today, Class 5A, District 9 foe Palm Harbor on Wednesday and Hudson on Thursday.
"It'll be a tough week," Beck said. "Hudson always plays us tough, Wesley Chapel has a good pitcher (Tiffany Williams) and Palm Harbor is a good ball club."
Gators' Crotty wins rematch with Buc
LAND O'LAKES -- A stirring rematch occurred in the 140-pound class of the Class 2A, Region 3 wrestling tournament this weekend at Countryside when Gulf's Davin Spaulding, a recent transfer from Kansas, took on Land O'Lakes' Ron Crotty.
It was a renewal of their epic battle from the district tournament.
At the district tournament, it was Spaulding who held on for a 2-1 victory. But Saturday evening, it was Crotty who came away with the regional crown after a clutch 7-4 victory.
"It was a very impressive match," Gators coach Ed Goodpaster said. "It was a very beautiful match thanks to the efforts of both Davin and Ronnie. It was an exciting match to watch."
Crotty was down 4-3 in the final 20 seconds before he scored on a flurry of moves to earn the regional title. But it isn't over yet as they and the county's 29 other state qualifiers head to Lakeland for the three-day state championships, which begin Thursday and run through Saturday evening. Among those making the return trip to state are defending champion Robb Philippus of Hudson, who won Class A's 215-pound championship last season and is now competing in Class 2A, and returning runner-up Tye Reedy of Pasco, who took second in Class A at 189. Both won their weight classes in the district and regional meets.
County's best players to battle today
Zephyrhills ace Courtney Dwyer is on a mission to beat Wesley Chapel's No. 1 player, Cristina Lucin.
The first of two chances comes today when the Bulldogs host the Wildcats at 3 p.m.
Dwyer's only two losses last season came against -- you guessed it -- Lucin.
One of those defeats was in the district final and Dwyer, a senior, would like nothing more than to beat Lucin for a district championship. But Dwyer must win today to give Lucin something to think about later.
"I'm ready, definitely, for (today's match)," said Lucin, the reigning Times All-County and Sunshine Athletic Conference Player of the Year.
The Wesley Chapel junior defeated Central ace Jane McDonald last Monday 6-0, 6-2. That outing, Lucin said, "built my confidence."
As for today's match pitting what might be the two best No. 1 players in Pasco County, Lucin said, "I don't know if you'd call it a rivalry, but I know there's a lot of hype about it."