Minford shortstop Laura Fuhrmann covers second base as Adena's Kirsti Yates slides in safely and second baseman Brittany Montavon looks on Tuesday in Lucasville. Adena won the district semifinal contest 13-1 in five innings.
Nine runs in the first inning alone proved they knew how to use them too as Minford could not slow down Adena in 13-1 mercy-rule game at Valley High School.
"That's probably the best hitting team we've faced all year long," Minford coach Preston Messer said. "The first inning they came out just knocking the cover off the ball... We didn't want to end it like that but it was a great season."
The Lady Falcons earned a spot in the district tournament with a 7-4 upset of Ironton last week. The sectional championship was the first for the program in a decade.
"I can't say enough about the girls. I'm proud of them," Messer said. "I'm proud of how far we've come from the beginning of the year. It is the first time in 10 years we've been to the district tournament."
Adena, which had a record of 20-5 at the tournament draw, began the scoring on Tuesday with the top five in the batting order reaching base (four singles and one hit-baseman) and later crossing the plate.
Tania Givens broke the game open for the Warriors with a three-RBI double to left field for a 6-0 lead. Of the seven Adena hits in the opening inning, catcher Kirsti Yates, a Shawnee State University signee, had a single and a double to go with two runs scored and one batted in.
Minford got on the board in the third inning when Elizabeth Brisker leadoff with an infield hit. Brittany Montavon lined a single to center field to score Brisker from second to make the score 9-1.
The Lady Falcons managed just four hits off Adena starter Crystal Detty but forced the Warrior defense to make plays as Detty struck out three.
Minford starter Autumn Griffith went three and two-thirds for the Falcons and also struck out three in the loss.
Adena added an unearned run in the third and tacked on three in the fourth for the final margin. Jessica Seyfang went 2-for-2 with an RBI while Yates was 2-for-2 with a pair batted in.
Hannah Halcomb went 1-for-2 with three runs while Kirsten Jones was 1-for-2 with two runs scored in the win.
The Lady Falcons will graduate one from their 2010 roster in outfielder Jordan Henson.
"We have one senior on the team, Jordan Henson," Messer said. "I hate to see her go because she is a team player... She is the most improved player on the team."
Adena moves on to face the winner of Zane Trace and South Point as Minford ends the year with a 12-15 mark.
ALI KEATON can be reached at akeaton@heartlandpublications.com
Minford 001 00 — 1 4 1
Adena 901 3x —` 13 9 2
WP: Detty LP: Griffith
Hitting Leaders
Minford — Montavon 1-3 RBI, Fuhrmann 1-2, Biggs 1-2, Brisker 1-2 R
Adena — Yates 2-2 2RBI 2R, Seyfang 2-2 RBI R, Jones 1-2 2B RBI 2R, Halcomb 1-2 2B 3R
Record — Minford 12-15
Post a Comment
