Carbondale Cougars advance to Women's Major FP Finals
8/13/2004
AUBURN, AL Abigail Johnson hurled the first no-hitter of the ASA Womens Major Fast Pitch National Championship, beating the Bama Blast, 5-1, here Friday to advance the Carbondale Cougars to the winners bracket final, which will be played 9 a.m. Saturday at Auburn University.
The Cougars (2-0) will face the Stratford (CT) Brakettes (2-0) in the winners bracket final. The Brakettes have won their last 12 games in ASA national championship play and are undefeated in their last 18 games this season. They are seeking a three-peat here and their 26th ASA national championship overall.
The Cougars (19-15 this season) are in the winners bracket finals for the first time and left 11 runners on base through the first seven innings before scoring three times in the top of the eighth inning, with the international tie-breaker in effect. Lauren Raney, who was placed at second to start the eighth, scored the first run on Lindsay Pickerings double after Stacy Birk advanced her to third with a sacrifice. Jennifer Dohering followed Pickering with a single and she and Pickering scored on Lindsey Bonnells two-run single, her first hit in five at-bats.
Its better to get them all in one inning then none at all, smiled winning pitcher Johnson, who will be a senior at Creighton University in the fall.
Johnson blanked the Blast through seven innings before allowing a run in the bottom of the eighth inning on a groundout by Lindsey Wyatt, scoring Staci Ramsey, who was placed at second to start the inning.
Through seven innings, Johnson allowed only base runner when Jenny Boyd reached base on an error by Birk in the first inning. After the error, Johnson retired the next 20 batters in a row, finishing with six strikeouts.
The Cougars collected 10 hits off losing pitcher Erin Wright. Johnsons batterymate, Shannon McKeon (2-3), Dohering (2-2) and Melanie Dorsey (2-4) led the Cougar offense. Dohering also starred on defense, collecting six assists.
The loss was the first for the Blast, which was eliminated in its next game, 5-1 by Storm USA of Laguna Hills, which scored all its runs in the first inning on six hits. All the runs and hits came off losing hurler Casey Cockrum, who hurled two-thirds of an inning with Erin Wright completing the game for the Blast (1-2).
The five runs came on an RBI bunt single by Stephanie Roberts, a fielders choice by Jennifer Mahoney, a single by shortstop Gabrielle Rendon and a two-run triple by Jamie Dacey. Right-hander Megan Masser (1-1) fanned seven and allowed three hits in getting the win, including a double by Wright and a solo homer by third baseman Staci Ramsey with two out in the sixth inning.
In Fridays third game, the Allentown (PA) Patriots became the first team eliminated from the seven-team field, losing to the Schutt Hurricanes of Burbank, CA, 7-0, collecting 14 hits off pitcher Kelsey Knapp. The Patriots were winless in two games.
Veteran catcher Suzy Brazney, playing in her 25th ASA Womens Major Fast Pitch National, and Courtney Fossatti had three hits apiece and Randi Berg and Danielle Kaminaka had two hits apiece for the winners. Danielles hits included a two-run homer in the top of the sixth inning and a two-run triple in the fourth. The Allentown hits were a double by catcher Denise Henderson (7th inning) and a single by Kathy Kreisher in the second inning.
Candice Baker went the distance on the mound for the Hurricanes, who will play the St. Louis Saints (0-1) in an elimination game this evening at Auburn University. Its the first of five, possible six, games that will be played at Auburns outstanding softball stadium.
Carbondale Cougars 000 000 03 3 10 1
Bama Blast 000 000 01 -- 1 0 1
Abigail Johnson and Shannon McKeon. Erin Wright and Alaina Shelton.
W-Johnson. L-Wright. 2B: Carbondale - Lindsay Pickering and Shannon McKeon.
Schutt Hurricanes 200 202 1 - 7 14 0
Allentown Patriots 000 000 0 - 0 2 0
Candice Baker and Suzy Brazney. Kelsey Knapp and Denise Henderson.
W-Baker. L-Knapp. 2B: Allentown.Denise Henderson. Schutt Courtney Fosatti and Suzy Brazney.3B: Schutt Danielle Kaminaka. HR: Schutt Kaminaka.