Lady Cougs drop double-header to HV
From our weekly issue dated May 13, 2009
The Lady Cougars lost both games of a double-header on Saturday, May 9 in Murphy when the importance of the contests was to see who would finish fourth in the Skyline Conference.
The Cougars needed to split for the position.
In the first game the Mustangs took a 2-0 lead after two innings, but the Cougars added three runs in the third when Illinois Valley had four straight hits by Tammy Huntamer, Cindy Moore, Morgan Brown (triple) and Brittney Loyd. The RBIs were by Moore and Brown.
Not to be outdone the Mustangs also scored three runs in the third to take a 5-2 lead. During the next three innings the Mustangs outscored the Cougars 5-1.
I.V. didn’t give up, and in the seventh; Brown and Taylor DeGuilio reached safely. Brown scored on DeGuilio’s base hit; DeGuilio then scored on Thea Barker-Cortrecht’s RBI. The Cougars rally fell short. The Mustangs won 10-6.
Huntamer went the distance and took the loss, while giving up 10 hits, five walks and had two strikeouts. The Cougar defense allowed seven errors behind her.
Moore went 2-3 with one run; Huntamer 2-4 with two runs; Brown 2-4 with three runs; and Loyd went 2-4.
In the second game, Huntamer gave the Cougars a good start with a lead-off single. Moore’s sacrifice bunt moved Huntamer over, to have Brown’s single score her. DeGuilio’s single then scored Brown: Illinois Valley 2-0. Huntamer shut down the Mustangs in the bottom half of the first 1-2-3.
The Cougars exploded in the second inning with five runs to take a 7-0 lead, on hits by Katie Becker, Huntamer, Moore, Brown, DeGuilio and a three-run double by Loyd. Nine Cougars got on base consecutively. The Mustangs returned the favor and scored five runs in the second.
Illinois Valley added two more runs in the fifth and three more in the sixth to take a 12-5 lead. The Mustangs then scored runs on four hits and four I.V. errors in their bottom half of the sixth to tie the game 12-12.
Fourth place in the Skyline came down to one final inning, the seventh. Francine Borth would never say die and had a great at-bat, fouling off the ball turee times on a full count to finally walk. Borth was left stranded.
In bottom of the seventh, the Mustangs had a single and a walk, to set the stage. Two outs and full count -- the Cougars best pitcher, Huntamer, vs. Michelle Aslackson, the Mustangs’ best hitter. Aslackson tripled in two runs to end the game and take fourth place from the Cougars.
Hidden Valley 14, Illinois Valley 12.
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Huntamer took the loss while giving up 11 hits, five walks and two strikeouts. The Cougars had seven errors on defense.
“Mental and physical errors cost us both games today, said head coach Ken Hix. “Not to mention we were really short-handed only having five varsity players available. However, the JV players we brought up gave 100 percent and did a pretty good job despite having no varsity experience.”
Added coach Jason Torrance, “We couldn’t win for losing; nothing went our way today. These losses were extremely tough for coach Hix and me. He left Hidden Valley last year to coach the Cougars this year, and I am a Hidden Valley alumnus.”
Hix noted, “These losses were hard to accept, but I am looking at the big picture. My girls did some great things and came a long way this year. But most importantly they brought back respect to this program.
“I am really proud of all of them. I have to be honest, I really wanted a split today.”
“We just need to beat North Valley Tuesday to bounce back and finish strong”, added coach Ken Reinhart.
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