MAY 8, 2018- It’s turned out to be a nice evening at the Stead for the 2018 FHSAA 6A Softball Championship Regional Semifinal game between Crystal River and Springstead High Schools. The fans are showing up for the game, going to be a full house tonight. Nice breeze and the smell of fresh cooked french fries in the air. Everyone stands for a moment of silence for the lives lost at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and our National Anthem. The pitchers for tonight’s game for the Stead Kayla Cruz and Crystal River Alysa Cecere. Springstead takes to the field first. Let’s Play Ball!!!
Top of 1st inning
First up to the plate this evening is Crystal River’s Catcher Caliann Rogers. Rogers drives it down third which is caught by Emily Kowicz and threw to first for the first out of the game. Next up Morgan Trotter, with a full count Morgan hits a bouncing ball to shortstop Mariah Galhouse who throws to first but runner is safe. Trotter is the first player of the game to take a base. Alyssa Hamilton steps up to the plate, hits to pitcher Kayla Cruz, Cruz hesitates a bit to which base to throw too. Cruz knows she won’t make first and turns to throw to second but it’s too late. Runners are on first and second. Fourth batter Jaden Vickers steps up and hits a drive to second- baseman bobbles the ball and all runners are safe, bases loaded. Coach Craig Swartout walks out to the mound to settle his team down. Kaylie Winebrenner hits to right field which was also bobbled and 2 runs come in for the Pirates. Runners on first and third now as Savannah Edwards comes up to bat. She hits a drive to second and thrown out on first. A 3rd run comes in with a runner on second. Bailey Copeland hits a grounder to third and thrown out on first making 3 outs. Inning of errors for the Stead is over.
Bottom of 1st
Emily Kolwicz is up first for the Stead, hits a grounder down first and got out. First out for the Stead.
Mariah Galhouse steps up, hits to right field and ball is caught. Second out. Paige Pfent hits a pop up which the catcher Caliann Rogers secures, third out.
Top of 2nd
Lexi Laxton bounces a hit just over the pitcher Kayla Cruz. Shortstop Mariah Galhouse catches and throws out Laxton on first. 1 out. Alyssa Cerere gets up and hits a big bounce over third and again Mariah Galhouse makes the catch and throws to first but runner is safe. Back to the top of line up with Caliann Rogers. She hits to right field and ball is caught by Jenna Ryan. Second out. Morgan Trotter is walked to first. Pirates have runners on first and second. Alyssa Hamilton hits it to Cruz which is caught for the third out.
Bottom of 2nd
Kayla Cruz drives it to second and ball is missed by Cara Hardy. Cruz is safe on first. Jenna Ryan steps up, hits a drive to shortstop and Cruz is thrown out on second. First baseman Savannah Edwards drops the ball and Ryan is safe on first. Raquel Camuglia strikes out. Out 2. Delaney Woodall is out with a thrown strike by Jaden Vickers, out 3.
Top of 3rd
Batter Jaden Vickers pops a flyball up to shortstop Galhouse and she makes the catch, 1 out. Kaylie Winebrenner pops up to second and it’s caught by Madison Dicono. The ball is thrown to first for the second out. Savannah Edwards hits a ball between Emily Kolwicz and Mariah Galhouse, and she is safe on first. Bailey Copeland strikes out for the third out.
Bottom of 3rd
Hannah Rizzuto pops up to Vickers- that’s out 1. Audrey Selby steps up and hits down first which is missed by Savannah Edwards and Selby is safe on first. Top of the line up, Emily Kowicz drives to second, Selby is out number 2 on second and Kowicz is safe on first. Mariah Galhouse hits a fly to center and it’s caught. Out 3
Top of 4th
Lexi Laxton pops up, Galhouse throws to first but it’s too late. Laxton is safe on first. Alyssa Cerere strikes out, 1 out. Caliann Rogers pops up to third, caught by Kolwicz out 2. Morgan Trotter is walked to first. Pirates have runners on first and second. Springstead’s catcher Paige Pfent walks out to the mound and talks with Cruz. Now Alyssa Hamilton steps up and hits straight at Cruz and is thrown out on first for the third out.
Bottom of 4th
Paige Pfent hits a hard drive to right field gets on first. Kayla Cruz hits a fly to right field and it was caught, out 1. Jenna Ryan gets a base hit to left, the Stead has runners on first and second. Raquel Camuglia drives to shortstop and Paige Pfent is taken out on second, 2 outs. Delaney Woodall hard drives to second and it makes the 3rd out.
Top of 5th
Jaden Vickers hits to left field past Raquel Camuglia and gets to second. Sub runner Emma Ward was put in for Vickers. Kaylie Winebrenner pops to shortstop. The ball is caught by Mariah Galhouse for out 1. Savannah Edwards grounds the ball to center, Delaney Woodall throws to home, ball takes a bounce and Paige Pfent retrieves and holds runners to third and first. Springstead coach walks out to the mound and changes pitchers. Mariah Galhouse will pitch, Cruz goes to third and Kolwicz to shortstop. Batter Bailey Copeland steps up to new pitcher Mariah Galhouse who is walked to first. Lexi Laxton gets up and is struck out, out 2. Alyssa Cerere steps up against Galhouse and is struck out to make it 3 outs leaving 2 runners on base.
Bottom of 5th
Hannah Rizzuto drives to second Cara Hardy bobbles the ball and Rizzuto is safe on first. Audrey Selby hits down first and Bailey Copeland beats Selby to first to get the first out. Emily Kolwicz is walked to first. Stead has runners on first and second. Mariah Galhouse hits to left, 1 run comes in for the Stead. Runners on first and third. Paige Pfent hits hard to right field to the fence, second run comes in for the Stead. Kayla Cruz hits to shortstop and runners are thrown out on second and first making it 3 outs for the Pirates.
Top of 6th
Wind is picking up and batters are hitting into the wind. Caliann Rogers is struck out, out 1. Morgan Trotter hits down first and is taken out which makes 2 outs. Alyssa Hamilton strikes out for 3 outs.
Bottom of 6th
Jenna Ryan strikes out for the first out of the inning. Raquel Camuglia steps up and goes down swinging making 2 outs. Delaney Woodall battled to hang in with a full count and strikes out making it 3 outs.
Top of 7th
Top of line up Jaden Vickers hits a drive over second baseman Madison Dicono and gets on second base. Kaylie Winebrenner hits a shot to right field and it’s caught by Jenna Ryan, out 1. Savannah Edwards strikes out, out 2. Bailey Copeland hits a fly to left and it’s caught by Raquel Camuglia, out 3.
Bottom of 7th
Last chance for the Stead to come back, they have to get 1 run to tie or 2 to win.
Hannah Rizzuto gets up to the plate hits to pitcher Jaden Vickers and is thrown out at first. Audrey Selby battles it out with Vickers but went down swinging to make it 2 outs. With 2 outs and the Stead needing to rally on two, Emily Kolwicz steps up and line drives it down first caught by Bailey Copland and it makes it 3 outs.
Crystal Rivers fans explode in the stands, the Pirates take the win with 3 runs to Eagles 2. Crystal River goes to the Regional Finals.
