Greg Webb
sports@weatherforddemocrat.com
June 02, 2008 11:34 am
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AUSTIN — After 15 innings, 105 at-bats, 410 pitches and 236 minutes, the Aledo Ladycats had finally found the numbers that really mattered Saturday at McCombs Field. A four-run burst in the top of the 15th broke the 0-0 deadlock and broke the back of the very game Lady Bulldogs from Nederland, as Aledo grabbed the 4A state softball championship, 4-0. The marathon broke the UIL 4A record for the longest title game.
Another record that fell was strikeouts, with Aledo senior Whitney Canion notching 22 Ks on her way to being voted Most Valuable Player of the 4A finals. Canion’s gutsy performance over the 15-inning affair earned further praise from her coach, who has been enjoying the talents of the southpaw hurler for several years.
“Whitney has really worked hard since her freshman year for something like this,” Aledo head coach Kevin Cook said. “Both pitchers in this game were pitching on heart and character. Both pitchers were outstanding.”
Canion, headed to Waco next fall to add her talents to the Baylor pitching staff, scattered six hits and only three free passes during the contest. The feat of going the 15 innings, 22 total innings for the two days of the state competition, and pitching the shutout is punctuated by the fact that for the past month, Canion and the Ladycats played just one-game series.
Canion was backed by a characteristically strong Ladycats defense that had a couple of miscues, but came up with the big plays when necessary, particularly the game-saver in the bottom of the 14th frame. After Bulldogs pitcher Caitlin Austin reached first on a single to right and courtesy runner Madison Trevino was pushed to second on a sacrifice bunt by teammate Jordan Bodin, Nederland right fielder Jordan Hightower smacked a sharp shot up the middle. With everyone in the ballpark knowing that the runner on second would be heading home, breaths were held as Aledo center fielder Jennifer Swinney fielded the ball cleanly and threw a strike to Ladycats catcher Easton Cook who applied the title-saving tag.
Austin, the senior hurler who had shutout Dripping Springs Friday, held the Ladycats at bay through 14 innings, stranding 11 base runners and staving off Aledo’s previous best scoring opportunity in the seventh, when the Ladycats had a runner at third and only one out. Aledo’s Katie Denney hit a rope straight to the Nederland left fielder, but teammate Haylee Bell, taking her normal lead off third base after the pitch, was not tagged up for what may have been a close play at home. Forcing a groundout on the next Aledo batter got Austin and the Lady Bulldogs out of the inning.
The deciding events of the 15th frame came with one out, after Austin had collected her 12th strikeout of the game. McKaylee Pittman was plunked in the elbow by Austin, and pushed to second when Canion helped her own cause with a base hit. The winning run occurred when Cook hit a single up the middle and Pittman never hesitated in her dash from second base, sliding safely into home to beat the throw of Nederland center fielder Layken Richard.
“KK [Pittman] is one of our slower runners, but we had no choice,” Coach Cook said. “We had to go for the gold medal right then. So, KK made a nice slide and then we were able to add a couple more runs.”
With pinch runner Jordan Simons on third and Cook on second, advancing on Pittman’s play at the plate, a bunt by Bell back to Austin in the circle sent Simons scurrying for home, with the throw to Nederland catcher Lindsey Rossi in plenty of time, the tag was applied, but Rossi lost the handle on the ball, scoring the Aledo runner. While Rossi was retrieving the ball, Cook also crossed home plate. In the meantime, Bell rounded the bases to end up at third and was picked up by Andi Shahan’s groundout RBI to the Bulldogs first baseman.
Austin ended the bleeding by pitching a flyout to Hillary Brann, but the damage had been done. With the first run deficit, the Lady Bulldogs may have had hopes for squaring the scoring in the bottom frame, but making up four runs against Canion would prove to be an insurmountable task.
The Ladycats’ lefty struck out the first two Nederland batters in the bottom of the 15th and, with a sharply-hit flyball to right field off the bat of Bulldogs shortstop Ashley Kuhn, caught on the run by Denney, the 2008 4A state champions were crowned.
Nederland, though coming up short, had taken the No. 1 team in the state and, according to USA Today, in the country, through 15 tough innings.
“Nederland would have been a worthy state champion,” Coach Cook said. “ They may be the best team we have played all year, especially tonight. This is just so great for the fans and the kids, and all of Aledo, to be able to bring home a state championship for Parker County.”
Aledo 4, Nederland 0 (15 inn.)
AHS (38-1-1) 000 000 000 000 004 — 4 12 2
NHS (30-10-1) 000 000 000 000 000 — 0 6 2
Canion and Cook; Austin and Rossi. WP — Canion (31-0-1); LP — Austin (23-7). 2B — Brann.
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