Central's Brooke Parrott races down the first baseline and begins to avoid a collision with Red Bank first baseman Dani Usher (16) as Usher leaps for an errant throw. Parrott was the winning pitcher, tossing a two-hit shutout complete with a dozen strikeouts and no walks, leading the Lady Pounders to a 7-0 win over the Lionettes and a number one seed in the upcoming 6-AA tournament.
photo by Dennis Norwood
Central's Lady Purple Pounders took care of business at Red Bank Monday afternoon.
Facing the Red Bank Lionettes in a game that was supposed to be played last Thursday, the Lady Pounders improved to 10-7 overall, but more importantly 6-0 in the District 6-AA standings as they prevailed by a 7-0 score and clinched the top seed for next month's district tournament, which will be played at Red Bank.
It was a close game for the first four innings as Central's Brooke Parrott appeared to be having a strikeout contest with Red Bank pitcher Hannah Wood.
Both had eight Ks after four frames, but Parrott won the battle and Central won the war with a big six-run sixth inning that turned a tight battle into a rout.
Parrott was the winning pitcher as she finished with a nifty two hitter and she finished the day with a dozen strikeouts and no walks. She is a true competitor who takes as much pride in her hitting as her pitching, so you can only imagine that she was more critical of her approach at the plate than anything else.
"I'm just mad that I didn't get any hits," she said before correcting herself after ripping a double in the top of the seventh to finish one for five.
"I stayed ahead in the count and we finally started to hit and score some runs, but we stuck together today and that was really important," she added.
Parrott reached first in the fifth on a Red Bank throwing error and eventually scored Central's first run on a fielder's choice by Alexis Grampp.
It didn't stay 1-0 long as Central sent 11 hitters to the plate in the sixth and scored six runs to blow a close game wide open.
Senior catcher Reagan Benedict got it all started with a double and she scored the first run of the inning before driving in two more with a clutch two-out single to right to conclude the scoring.
Lexie Ainslie also had a two-run double to the gap in left-center while Tate Morgan added an RBI-single.
Those six runs were way more than enough for Parrott, who retired the side in order in Red Bank's final at-bat.
Destiny Painter had Red Bank's first hit with a leadoff double in the fourth and advanced to third on a perfect sacrifice bunt by Shelby Romans. Painter stayed at third as Parrott got a strikeout and a fly to left to end that threat.
Then in the fifth, Taylor Bonds ripped a one-out single up the middle, but was stranded after the next two Lionettes flied out.
"We hung in there as we didn't get rattled early when the game was scoreless," said Central coach LeeAnne Shurette after the game ended.
"We wanted to be selective at the plate, but I was proud of the fact that we stuck to our game plan. We played great defense and Brooke pitched an outstanding game, but this win gives us the top seed for the district tournament.
"Red Bank is always scrappy, but that six-run inning was nice. I was ready for our bats to come alive," she added.
Red Bank coach Mandi Munn felt like the difference in this one was her team's inability to make adjustments at critical times.
"We didn't make any adjustments to a good pitcher and they did," she said as she was getting her team ready for a JV game afterward.
"We're still making small mistakes along the way, but I was hoping it would stay close like it was for the first five innings. But they made adjustments and we didn't. That was the difference," Munn nodded.
Benedict had three hits to lead the Central offense, which finished with 11 total. Sam Scott and Ainslie both had two apiece while Cheyenne Slaughter, Parrott, Grampp and Morgan all had one apiece.
Central returns to action on Tuesday with a home game against Notre Dame while Red Bank returns to action on Thursday when the Lionettes host Tyner.
CENTRAL 000 016 0 -- 7 11 0
RED BANK 000 000 0 -- 0 2 3
Parrott and Benedict; Wood, Farr (6) and Shrader.
(email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@gmail.com)
Red Bank starter Hannah Wood delivers to the plate.
photo by Dennis Norwood