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Rams in step with tradition
By LINDA ROTHSTEIN © St. Petersburg Times, published March 8, 2001 NEW PORT RICHEY -- With a new coach and the graduation of six seniors, some teams might expect a rebuilding season. But not Ridgewood. New head coach and former Rams' junior varsity coach Greg Bollinger has picked up right where former coach Marlyn Bavetta left off and has his team off to a solid 7-1 start. "The other thing is, with the exception of Breanne (Hill) and Beth Ann (Blankenship), I had coached the other girls on the JV before," Bollinger said. "So they knew me a little bit and what to expect. So the transition may not have been as tough." It doesn't hurt that the Rams have six seniors and a total of eight returners from last year's 17-4 squad. And despite a disappointing post-season last year -- the Rams lost to East Lake in the district semifinals -- Ridgewood is ready and able to make another run at the regional tournament. "You're talking about girls that have played a lot of varsity games," Bollinger said. "There's no substitute for that. Plus, I had three pitchers with varsity experience coming back." The heavy hitters from last year are continuing the tradition. Courtney Kline, who hit .375 and scored 20 runs last season, is off to another hot start, leading the team with a .577 batting average. She also leads the team with 4 doubles, a triple, 12 runs scored and 7 RBI. Fellow senior Beth Ann Blankenship, in addition to shouldering pitching duties, is hitting .389 with seven RBI and four runs scored. Brandy Krieg, along with Blankenship, is 2-0 on the mound. The Rams are also getting good production from a strong crop of underclassmen. Sophomore Tera McCleary is second on the team with a .533 batting average while fellow sophomore Breanne Hill leads on the mound with a record of 3-1 and a 1.28 earned run average. "The key so far has been the younger kids and how well they've played and jelled and stepped in in certain positions," Bollinger said. The Rams' biggest test of the season so far came last weekend in the Hernando Softball Tournament in Brooksville. Ridgewood was undefeated in pool play before losing to host Hernando in the final. The Rams now begin the meat of their season with games coming up against Boca Ciega, Sunshine Athletic Conference rival Land O'Lakes and district foe Palm Harbor University. Ridgewood will also get three chances at East Lake during the regular season, once in March and twice in April. Another dose of tough competition will come in its own Ram Classic Tournament in April, which will feature Hernando, Seminole, Pinellas Park, Crystal River, East Lake, River Ridge and a team from Clear Creek, Ohio.
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