Laurel Hill advances to 1-A title game

By RANDY DICKSON

Florida Freedom Newspapers

LAUREL HILL - Powered by a four-run fifth inning, No. 1 seed Laurel Hill advanced to the finals of the District 1-A softball tournament with a 6-1 semifinal win over rival Paxton on Tuesday.

The Hoboes will take on No. 3 seed Rocky Bayou Christian in the finals at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday at Laurel Hill. The Knights beat Central 12-7 in the other semifinal.

The win also assured the Hoboes a spot in the region quarterfinals on Tuesday.

"We bobbled the ball around the infield tonight which is something we haven't done all year," Laurel Hill coach Scott Varnum said. "And we didn't have a great hitting effort.

"But like I told them, it doesn't matter if it's 2-1 or 10-1. It's a district win and we put ourselves in the finals."

After a sluggish start in which Laurel Hill (13-5) scored just one run through four innings, the Hoboes broke out of their slump with two outs in the fifth to break a 1-1 tie.

The rally started with Adeana Reeves reaching on the first of three Bobcat errors in the inning. Two of the errors came after Hobo hits, allowing Laurel Hill base runners to advance into scoring position.

Michelle Raite, Amanda King and Brittany Baggett all had RBI hits in the inning. Reeves, Raite and King scored, as did Jessica Gartman.

Laurel Hill was uncharacteristically sloppy in the early innings, committing three errors in the first three innings, but the Bobcats (5-11) were unable to capitalize.

The Hoboes drew first blood, scoring a run in the bottom of the third. Brittany Kelly, who walked to start the inning, scored on a fielder's choice by Reeves.

The Bobcats picked up their only run in the fourth when Kristyn Geiselman scored on a throwing error.

Laurel Hill added an insurance run in the sixth as Allicia Griggs, who led off the inning with a base hit, scored on a Raite sacrifice fly.

Much of the game was a pitching duel between Paxton's Kappi Stewart and Laurel Hill's Katie Free.

Stewart, a freshman, gave up nine hits, but four of the hits came in the fifth. She finished with two strikeouts.

Free wasn't at her best, but the junior still allowed just three hits and struck out eight.

Lillie Dixon, Maryllyn Gilbert and Geiselman had hits for the Bobcats.

Free led the Laurel Hill attack, going 3-for-4, while Amanda King added two hits.

After the game a tearful coach Laurie Gilbert hugged her daughter, Maryllyn, the lone senior on the team.

"I wish Laurel Hill all the best of luck in district and I hope they go far because they represent our area well," Laurie said. "The average age on our team was a freshman so I think we have a great future at Paxton."

Paxton     000 100 0 - 1 3 4

Laurel Hill 001 041 x - 6 9 3

W-Katie Free. L-Kappi Stewart