Warhawks escape on Hunsinger's single

By PETE YOUNG

© St. Petersburg Times, published April 27, 2000

SEMINOLE -- Seminole's Jessica Hunsinger lined a two-out run-scoring single in the bottom of the seventh inning to lift the host Warhawks to a 3-2 win over Boca Ciega in a semifinal of the Class 5A, District 11 tournament.

In the second semifinal, Countryside cruised past Pinellas Park 10-0. No. 1-seed Countryside and No. 2 Seminole play at 5 p.m. Friday for the district title.

Boca Ciega (14-12) took a 1-0 lead in the first inning, and Pirate pitcher Laura Johnson (8-5) made it stand up until Seminole (18-6) scored twice in the fifth. Ellie Loder, who had doubled, scored when Laura Hasson's bunt was misplayed, and Hasson scored on a fielder's choice.

Bogie tied it at 2 in the sixth. Johnson (3-for-4) scored when Sarah Stumpf's ground ball was booted for an error. The Pirates threatened in the seventh, but Seminole pitcher Jamie Campbell (9-3), who had 10 strikeouts and no walks, got a strikeout-throw out double play to end the inning.

In the bottom of the seventh, Stephanie Strickland (3-for-4) stroked a leadoff single and scored four batters later on Hunsinger's hit.

"I've been struggling the whole year," said Hunsinger, a senior outfielder. "It's nice to finally do something to help the team."

In the second game, Kattrina Dowd was 4-for-4 with four RBI to propel Countryside (24-1). Becky Wilcox of Pinellas Park (12-13), the county home run (8) and RBI (34) leader, did not play. Patriots coach Bob Stephens would not comment, but Wilcox said she was benched because she drove with her family to the game instead of taking the team bus.

5A-10: East Lake tops Rams a third time

NEW PORT RICHEY -- If East Lake coach Darius Holtzclaw remembered correctly, Kim Hogan hadn't hit a ball to the right side all season.

The East Lake third baseman picked the right time for the first time.

Hogan hit a two-out single to rightfield in the 10th inning to score catcher Tiffany Phillips from third and give East Lake a 2-1 win against Ridgewood in one semifinal at River Ridge.

"Defense and getting one in at the right time, that's all it came down to," Holtzclaw said. "We had a few bobbles and I guess they left more runners on base than we did. It all comes down to defense. That's what wins ballgames good ballgames."

East Lake will play the winner of No. 1 seed River Ridge and No. 5 seed Land O'Lakes.

No matter the outcome of the 5A-10 championship game at 7 p.m. Friday, second-seeded East Lake is heading to the regional playoffs for the first time since 1993. All it took was beating No. 3 seed Ridgewood (17-4) for the third time this season.

Hogan, batting .261, finished 3-for-5 with a double, run scored and one RBI and also made several plays in the field.

Sophomore Julia Weiss (10-4) pitched all 10 innings for East Lake. She allowed 11 hits and struck out seven.

The Rams got leadoff hits in five innings and scored just once. They left 10 runners on base.

Despite its offensive woes, Ridgewood got solid pitching from junior starter Brandy Krieg and freshman Breanne Hill.

"It is almost an impossibility to do," Holtzclaw said of beating Ridgewood three times. "Their pitching tonight, Brandy (Krieg) did a super job. When she brought in that freshman, I didn't think we were going to touch the ball I was really, really worried as far as getting contact on the ball. Hogan is one of our good bat-speed bats." -- KEVIN KELLY

4A-10: Tornadoes, Vikings advance

CLEARWATER -- After beating Gibbs by 10 runs in its last meeting, the Clearwater players and coaches figured the rematch during Wednesday's district semifinal would be just as easy.

Not so fast.

The Tornadoes had to sweat out a 6-1 victory to advance to Friday's final against Northeast at 7 at Bomber Stadium. The Vikings advanced with a 3-0 victory in the other semifinal.

"I think the girls and the coaches, myself included, we're kind of looking past this game," Clearwater coach Rick Massey said. "It's a win, but we definitely need to pick up the offense and the intensity."

The Tornadoes scored twice in the first inning to take the lead. But the Gladiators cut the deficit in half when April Lane singled, then scored on a triple by Jeanine Jiannetti in the top of the second inning.

Ahead 2-1, Clearwater ace Kristen Keyes made sure Gibbs didn't get any closer. She allowed three more hits, all singles, and struck out 10, including five of the final seven batters.

The Tornadoes provided some more runs by putting the ball in play and taking advantage of the Gladiators' miscues. Gibbs, which fielded a lineup of mostly freshmen, committed seven errors and had one wild pitch. Clearwater scored twice in the fourth and once more in the fifth and sixth to round out the scoring.

In the other semifinal, Northeast relied on the pitching of Leslie Footlick and received offensive help from Crystal Folwell's home run. -- BOB PUTNAM

4A-6: Top seeds win with shutouts

HUDSON -- Top seeds Palm Harbor University and Tarpon Springs each won semifinal games to set up tonight's 6:30 title game at Hudson.

The defending 4A state champion Hurricanes breezed to an 8-0 win over Springstead before the Spongers clobbered Zephyrhills 10-0.

PHU (29-3), trying for its third consecutive district crown, had 15 hits against Springstead (7-22) with Janine Palumbo and Kristin Weber accounting for three apiece.

Weber and Alyson Henry each had two RBI with Weber scoring three times. Weber and Henry each had run-scoring singles in the Hurricanes' four-run fifth.

Winning pitcher Katie Dobson had 10 strikeouts and yielded just two hits.

Zephyrhills (8-19) mustered one more hit than Springstead. Jean Morel, Amanda Griffin and Andrea Wardell had the only hits off Tarpon Springs pitcher Erica Drake.

Tarpon Springs (11-11) had 10 hits and capitalized on Zephyrhills' six errors. The Bulldogs made three errors and Ashley Tunker allowed three singles in the Spongers' three-run first.

Tarpon Springs clinched it with four runs in the sixth. Katie Zody, Brittany Boostrum and Sarah Fisher each had run-scoring singles with Carrie Omo scoring the final run on Fisher's long drive to left field.

Jessica Gurney went 2-for-3 with a walk and had three RBI for the Spongers, and Drake helped her cause by scoring three runs. -- STEVE LEE

3A-9: Robinson wins first playoff berth

TAMPA -- It has been the staple of their diet, their calling card for much of the season. The Robinson Knights dawdle around in the early going, then in the waning innings they cut and slash and reduce the opposition to mere pawns.

Why mess with success?

Robinson used it again Wednesday night in the Class 3A, District 9 semifinals against Clearwater Central Catholic. The Knights left with a 10-3 victory and the first playoff berth in school history.

Robinson will face heavy favorite Tampa Catholic (21-4), a 4-1 winner over Academy of the Holy Names, tonight at 7 for the district title.

The Knights (11-9) scored four runs in the fifth to break open a 3-3 game as Lisette Bigness and Amanda Maslaney hit back-to-back RBI doubles to nearly the same patch of grass in the leftfield gap. Bigness, who came in to relieve starter Jean Smith in the top half of the inning, earned the win and improved to 8-3.

CCC loaded the bases twice. The Marauders left them that way in the third but Ashley Armstrong, Carole Giambaluo and Lindsey Ijjas all scored in the fifth to tie the game. -- ERIC VICIAN

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