By By LAWRENCE KEECH, Staff Writer
BEAR GRASS -- The chance for success is looking much better for the Bear Grass girls softball team this season.
On Friday, the Bears pulled off an 8-5 victory over Southside High School in a non-conference matchup, but the game put Bear Grass just one win away from equaling last year's total of four.
So how, with just two hits, were the Bears able to remain unbeaten?
Bear Grass coach Brad Palmer had to agree.
After watching a 4-0 lead turn into a 5-all tie, Bear Grass posted a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth and another in the sixth.
Diana Leary drew a lead-off walk and moved to second on a passed ball. Stephanie Duke hit into an error -- the fourth of eight committed by the Seahawks -- and continued on to third.
Krista Horn then hit a sacrifice fly to left field that scored Leary. Duke remained at first on the play. The move could have been costly, except Southside's right fielder dropped a pop up.
With runners safely at first and second, Mary Rogerson hit a roller toward third, which was bobbled and thrown past the first baseman. All the runners moved ahead and Duke scored.
Southside catcher Kendall Sadler finally gave the team some breathing room when she caught a bunt attempt in the air for the second out. A second error at third base re-loaded the bases. However, a fly ball to center field ended the inning.
Palmer pulled Duke, the starting pitcher, in the top of the sixth, to put Lindsay Shaw on the rubber.
Shaw forced Ashley Clark into a popup and knocked down a shot by Ashley Vance then threw her out at first, before giving up a hit to Ashley Nanny. Shaw then grabbed a line drive by Kendall Sadler to end the inning.
Duke handed out five walks, seven strikeouts and was credited with four earned runs. She also had both of the Bear's hits -- an RBI double in the first inning and a double in the sixth. In the sixth, she scored on an error hit into by Horn.
Bear Grass (3-0) scored four runs in the first inning, after Southside starter Jenny Swain walked four batters and the Seahawks recorded their first error.
Swain never got a chance to redeem herself. She was hit in the right elbow (her throwing arm) in the bottom of the first inning. Christina Cilluffo moved to the rubber from right field and began helping Southside climb back into the contest.
Holly Smith scored Southside's first run. She came in to run for Swain and moved to second on a passed ball. Two groundouts allowed her to come home.
The Seahawks (1-3) added two runs each in the fourth and fifth inning.
Cilluffo belted the first of three hits to start the fourth and was followed by Smith, who drew a walk. Dana Brown and Tanya Harris both singled and Vance hit into an error.
Sadler dropped in a single to open the fifth inning, then Ashley Craig and Cilluffo both drew walks. Another walk drawn by Brown and a single by Harris led to a pair of runs and tied the game.
Southside 010 220 0 -- 5 9 8
Bear Grass 400 121 x -- 8 2 1
WP: Lindsay Shaw; LP: Christina Cilluffo
S -- Ashley Nanny 1-4, Kendall Sadler 2-4, Dana Brown 2-3 (RBI), Ashley Craig 1-3, Christina Cilluffo 1-3, Tanya Harris 2-4 (RBI); BG -- Stephanie Duke 2-4 (two 2Bs, RBI).