TCC eliminates Chipola

By Dustin Kent

Published: May 1, 2008

After proving to be the best team in the Panhandle Conference in the regular season, the Chipola Lady Indians had their season ended by a pair of league rivals at the FCCAA state tournament in Auburndale.

Pensacola defeated Chipola 8-4 Friday and Tallahassee dealt the Lady Indians the fatal blow Saturday with a 3-2, 10-inning win.

Former Marianna High School player Mary Helen Tyler scored the winning run in the bottom of the 10th on Morgan O’Keefe’s bases-loaded hit to right field.

O’Keefe also pitched the game’s final eight innings to pick up the win.

It was a crushing defeat for Chipola, which took a 2-0 lead into the bottom of the seventh before an RBI double by Lela Land and an RBI infield single by Briana

Leverett tied the game and sent it into extra innings.

The Lady Indians, who finish the season with a record of 42-12, won their tourney opener over Polk 8-2 before falling to PJC, then stayed alive with a 5-0 win over Gulf Coast in the early game Saturday.

Chipola’s Amber Weeks started the Gulf Coast game and was brilliant in a complete-game shutout.

It was Weeks who was called on again Saturday, this time in relief of starter Brooke Muth, to take over in extra innings.

Weeks got her team out of a jam in the bottom of the eighth, inducing an inning-ending pop out with a pair of TCC runners on.

Despite a lead-off walk in the ninth, Weeks came up with a big defensive play to get out of trouble, catching a liner off the bat of Leverett and doubling up the runner at first.

However, the Lady Eagles would not be denied in the 10th and final inning.

Heather Mauldin and Tyler started the inning off with a pair of singles before Mauldin was caught stealing at third by Chipola catcher Alyssa Shirey.

But a walk to Meaut and an infield single by Alayshia Jarrell loaded the bases with only one out to set the stage for O’Keefe’s heroics.

Chasity Covington accounted for both Chipola runs, singling and scoring on an error in the second and adding a solo home run in the sixth.

Muth pitched 7 2/3 innings for the Lady Indians, surrendering nine hits and two walks.

TCC was scheduled to play again Saturday night against Hillsborough for a spot in Sunday’s championship round.

PJC had already wrapped up a spot in the title game of the Gulf District Sunday against the winner of TCC/Hillsborough.

The winner of the Gulf District will play the winner of the Atlantic District Sunday for the state title.
——
Against Gulf Coast, the Lady Indians experienced far less drama courtesy of an outstanding effort in the circle by the Sneads native Weeks.

The sophomore right-hander surrendered just five hits in seven innings, walking just one batter for the win.

Chipola couldn’t come up with any offense until the fourth inning when Tera Gainer and Shirey each scored on a Gulf Coast error.

Monica Kennedy followed up with an RBI single to give Chipola a 3-0 lead.

In the fifth, Gainer added a two-run home run off of former MHS hurler Jill Mathis to produce the final margin.
——
In Chipola’s loss to PJC Friday night, the Lady Pirates got off to a hot start with a pair of two-run home runs by Chelsea Takacs and Grealdine Puertas to take a 5-1 lead through four innings.

A two-run sixth by PJC extended the lead to 8-2.

Chipola tried to rally in the top of the seventh, getting two runs off of RBI hits by Kasey Henderson and Melody Moore, but a fly out by Chasity Covington flew out with two on and two out to end the game and give the Lady Indians their initial loss of the tournament.
——
The Lady Indians won their tourney opener on the strength of big offensive efforts from Gainer and Melody Moore.

Moore drove in four runs for the game and Gainer connected on a three-run home run in the first inning.

Moore homered herself in the fifth inning for Chipola, which blew the game open early with four runs in the first and three in the second.