By CHAD WASHINGTON
The Athlete's Connection
After losing 9-0 to Clements more than a month ago, there was much more than the District 23-5A lead on the line for the Elkins softball team on Thursday night.
Pride and tradition also were up for grabs.
A five-run fifth inning, sparked by a two-RBI double by senior third baseman Amber Garza, helped the Knights to a 5-1 win in a battle between two of the top-ranked teams in the state. Elkins, who is ranked No. 6, moves into a tie atop the district with the second-ranked Rangers.
“Clements is a playoff-caliber team and are expected to do well in the playoffs,” Elkins coach James McClanahan said. “It was a good match to see where we’re at and what we still need to work on.”
After Clements (25-5, 12-1) scored a run in the top of the fifth, a couple fielding errors helped the Knights to put two runners on with no outs. Shortstop Donielle Breaux got a hit and reached second base after a throwing error by Clements catcher Erin Dooley. Then Elkins outfielder Kelsey Thorton grounded to second, but made it to first as Rangers first baseman Ally Ensor dropped the ball.
After Breaux stole home on a double steal, Elkins first baseman Jena West then laced a single to center field that scored Thorton to put the Knights ahead 2-1.
After second baseman Stephanie Harris beat out an infield hit, Garza then came up and belted a 1-2 pitch from Clements pitcher Liz Paul into the left-center field that brought home pitcher Nicole Gremillion and Harris to put the Knights up 4-1. Centerfielder Chelsea Kovich came up next and hit a RBI single to score Garza for the Knights’ last run.
“(Liz) is a really good pitcher, and I knew I just had to put the ball in play,” Garza said. “I just told myself, ‘Line drive, line drive,’ and that’s what I hit.”
Gremillion made the lead stand up by retiring six of her last seven batters. She ended the game giving up only four hits and no walks while striking out three.
Meanwhile, Paul was strong in her first four innings of work, striking out seven batters while giving up only two hits. None of the runs scored were earned, but she gave up six hits with no walks and struck out eight.
The Rangers’ lone run came when outfielder Erin Daniels got a one-out double and scored when outfielder Sarah Dilley beat out a grounder to shortstop. Daniels scored from second and slid head-first into home plate to beat out the throw from first.
Elkins (26-4, 12-1), which has won district the last two years and five of the last six years, are in position again to win it again. But McClanahan and the Knights are focused on the ultimate goal, which the Knights won in 2003 and 2004.
“District championships are important, but it has no bearing on our ultimate goal of getting to the state tournament,” McClanahan said.
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Chad Washington can be reached at (281) 404-4953 or cwashington@athletesconnection.com.
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