Published: July 04, 2008 12:39 am            

DISTRICT V: Thursday's softball and baseball action

CHARLESTOWN — After getting help from Jeff/GRC on Wednesday, the Highlander Youth Recreation 11-12 softball team earned a spot in Tuesday’s championship game with an 11-5 win over Charlestown on Thursday.

Thanks to Jeffersonville’s 9-2 win over Clarksville Wednesday, HYR’s 3-1 record is good enough to move into the title game. Clarksville and Silver Creek will meet on Monday to determine which team will face HYR.

Once again, it was the duo of Ruthanna Fritzinger and Katelin Dreher that did significant damage for HYR.

After Charlestown tied the score at 5-5 in the bottom of the fourth inning, Fritzinger and Dreher combined to bring home the eventual winning run.

Fritzinger singled, then stole second and third base. Dreher then singled Fritzinger home for a 6-5 lead. HYR tacked on five insurance runs in the bottom of the fifth.

Fritzinger finished the game 2-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Dreher was also 2-for-4. She scored once and knocked in Fritzinger twice.

Charlestown opened the scoring when Kaitlyn Henning singled to start the game. She scored after a stolen base, a wild pitch and a fielder’s choice RBI by Graceyn Jennings.

In the bottom of the first, HYR took the lead for the first time. With one out, Allie Rush walked. After the second out was recorded, Dreher reached on an error. Rachel Denison followed with a two-run-scoring double. Denison then stole third and scored when the attempt to throw her out went over the second baseman’s head.

Charlestown got within a run in the second when it drew four straight walks. Emily Wood’s base on balls scored Henning.

HYR stretched out its lead with a two-run second inning. Meredith Sant was hit by Henning’s 3-2 pitch to open the inning. Sant scored on an Abbie Engle ground ball that turned into a three-base error. Engle later scored on a Rush double.

Amanda Pavey pitched a complete game for the win on the mound.



DISTRICT V NOTEBOOK

11 BASEBALL

• Reminiscent of Reggie Jackson in the 1977 World Series, Trey Fulton hit three home runs on three pitches in HYR’s 16-6 win over Jeff/GRC.

After Jeff broke on top 1-0 in the first on a Drew Reich double that plated Nick Paynter, HYR batted around, scoring six times. The highlight was Fulton’s grand slam that gave HYR a 5-1 lead. Two batters later, Spencer Daughny doubled and later scored on a wild pitch.

HYR coach Rick Fulton said getting off to a good start was huge in its opener.

“It was real big,” Coach Fulton said. “Not only did it give us momentum, but we also got to save our No. 1 pitcher (Trey Fulton). We knew Jeff was good and we were prepared to use him, but we didn’t have to.”

Jeff/GRC, which scored at least one run in five of the six innings, scored another single run in the second. Dalton Brown hit a one-out single and was followed by Jacob Flispart, who doubled him home.

Jeff then made the score 6-4 with a two-run third. Paynter opened the inning with a walk. Nolan Fertig then singled to put runners on first and second. Reich then hit his second double to cut the gap to two runs.

Paynter scored twice on the night and Reich had three RBIs.

Fulton’s solo home run in the fourth inning gave HYR a 7-4 lead, then it put the game away with a seven-run fifth.

Again, the big shot came off of Fulton’s bat. Carson Jenkins drew a walk to open the inning. One out later, Fulton drove the first pitch he saw over the right-center field fence for his third homer.

“He does that all of the time,” Coach Fulton said. “On our travel team, he hits multiple home runs every weekend. He practices hitting all the time.”

HYR, the defending District V champions at the 9-10 age level, is now all alone atop the pool play standings with a 1-0 record after Silver Creek’s win over Charlestown.

Coach Fulton said getting off to a good start should ignite his team.

“Now, they believe,” he said. “Winning our first game, now we can keep our backs off of the wall. Now we don’t have to worry about one loss and being out.”

• Tyler Simms pitched a no-hitter as Silver Creek won its first game of the All-Star tournament.

Simms went the distance and struck out four batters.

The offense did its part, too, scoring three runs in the first, four in the second and four more in the fifth.

Silver Creek’s top four batters were responsible for 10 of its 12 runs. Leadoff batter Brahm Whittinghill scored three times and Brandon Smith had a two-RBI double.



9-10 BASEBALL

• Jeff/GRC improved to 2-0 in pool play with an easy 12-2 win over Charlestown.

The win draws Jeff even with New Albany. The two teams will meet Monday for first place.

Jeff/GRC’s Jeremiah Phelps went 2-for-3, including a two-run home run. Four players — Phelps, Joseph Burke, Tyler Payne and Bryce Morrow — each scored twice for Jeff. Morrow scored the 10-run-rule clinching run when he scored on a Drew Campbell single to end the game.



13-14 BASEBALL

• After Charlestown scored three runs to tie New Albany at 3-3 in the top of the sixth, New Albany responded with a three-run sixth of its own to score a 6-3 victory.

Tied at three, New Albany drew three straight bases-leaded walks in the sixth.

New Albany’s Zach Worrall, who went 1-for-2 with two walks and two runs scored, forced in the game-winning run with his base on balls. New Albany’s Jalen Stubbins pitched a 1-2-3 seventh inning to secure the victory.

Matt Snelling led Charlestown with a 3-for-3 performance. He also had an RBI.



STANDINGS

• 11-12 SOFTBALL: HYR 3-1, Clarksville 2-1, Silver Creek 2-1, Jeff/GRC 2-2, Charlestown 0-4.

• 11 BASEBALL: HYR 1-0, Charlestown 1-1, Jeff/GRC 1-1, Silver Creek 1-1, New Albany 0-1.

• 9-10 BASEBALL: Jeff/GRC 2-0, New Albany 2-0, HYR 1-0, Clarksville 0-1, Charlestown 0-2, Silver Creek 0-2.

• 13-14 BASEBALL: HYR 2-0, Jeff/GRC 1-0, Silver Creek 1-0, New Albany 1-1, Charlestown 0-2, Clarksville 0-2.

        

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