Published: May 20, 2008 12:15 am            

CLASS 4A SECTIONAL:

NEW ALBANY — When you’re going into a pitcher’s duel during the sectionals, there are very few players you’d rather have on the mound than Faith Griffaw.

Ask Steve Belden.

The coach of the New Albany softball team got seven shutout innings from his ace, a pair of timely hits from his batters and ultimately his first official postseason victory as Bulldog boss on Monday.

New Albany (12-10) scored its lone run in the top of the fourth and Griffaw did the rest, allowing just three hits in a 1-0 victory over Bedford North Lawrence in the first game of the New Albany Sectional at Prosser Field.

“Faith didn’t really have her good stuff today,” Belden said. “But she really battled.”

You could have fooled the Stars (7-17).

Griffaw, who threw a no-hitter against Bedford in April, picked up right where she left off. She struck out seven hitters in improving to 11-9, and did not allow a baserunner after the fifth inning. Down to their last chance, the Stars were retired in order in the bottom of the seventh, and Griffaw — all business throughout — finally showed some emotion, pumping her fist as she walked off the field.

She got all the run support she needed three innings earlier, when senior Chelsea Banks led off the fourth with a single to shallow left field against Bedford hurler Whitney Raines.

While Griffaw failed to reach base on a bunt, the next hitter would have no such trouble. Freshman Cydney Brown, bundled up with a sweatshirt over her jersey on a cold evening, laced a pitch into right for a single that scored Banks from second.

“Chelsea Banks is a senior and we depend on her to lead off,” Belden said. “She stepped up tonight. When that lead-off batter gets on, it just opens the treasure chest of what you can do.”

“We told the girls that their pitcher was going outside, and that we needed to take it to right field. Cydney really listened and it was nice to see that.”

Still, it took a great defensive play to keep the Stars from tying the score.

Elizabeth Weber, the second hitter in Bedford fifth, hit a sharp single down the third-base line with one out. Griffaw then struck out Samantha Stone to bring up Cassie Fields with two out.

Fields promptly hit what looked like trouble — a base hit that looked to be far enough out to score pinch-runner Carley Magill. But the ball was scooped up by Bulldog centerfielder Paige Wills, who looked up and fired a strike to home plate, catching Magill and ending Bedford’s last major threat.

Last season, with longtime coach Jacque Hunter in the hospital during the sectional’s first round, Belden coached the Bulldogs to a first-round victory over Jeffersonville. The difference is that this one will count in the official record books for the first-year New Albany mentor, who spent seven years at the school and an assistant under Hunter.

“As a head coach, it’s always great to get that first one,” Belden said. “It feels pretty good.”

The Bulldogs advanced to meet either Jennings County or Seymour in today’s semifinal round at 5:30 p.m. Jeffersonville meets Floyd Central in the other semi, with the winner’s meeting on Friday for the sectional crown.



NEW ALBANY 000 100 0—1 3 0

BEDFORD NL 000 000 0—0 3 0

W — Griffaw (11-9). L — Raines (7-15). 2B — Cart (NA).

Records — New Albany 12-10, Bedford North Lawrence 7-17.

        

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