Division II sectional softball final ross 5, Monroe 2
Rams rally behind sophomore's solid effort
Fernandez strikes out eight as team outhits Monroe 13-6; Ross advances to play Tippecanoe in district final.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
MIAMISBURG — The trickle of runs was good enough for Ross High School's softball team.
The Rams racked up 13 hits Saturday, May 17, in a Division II sectional title game against Monroe, only to strand nine runners and score just five times.
Extras
Yet Brittany Fernandez tossed a six-hitter with eight strikeouts, and top-seeded Ross continued its championship season with a 5-2 triumph at Miamisburg.
"We just couldn't get that big inning," Rams coach Paul Fernandez said. "You're waiting for the floodgates to open, and they just never opened all the way. But I thought we stayed upbeat and got some key runs when we needed them."
Ross had at least two hits in each inning against Hornets right-hander Ashly Minotto, but the Rams were forced to come from behind after Monroe got a leadoff double from Tamara Davis and an RBI single from Nikki Tolson in the first.
Kaitlyn Strunk collected three singles and scored two runs for Ross (21-4), which will travel to Kettering Fairmont at 11 a.m. Saturday for a district championship matchup against Tippecanoe.
The Rams will be seeking their 15th district crown since 1988.
"We really look at it as one step at a time, and the next step is a little bigger than the last one," Paul Fernandez said. "Our goals remain the same every year. Nothing changes."
Brittany Fernandez, a sophomore right-hander, wasn't fazed by Saturday's early deficit.
"Actually, I was pretty relaxed out there," she said. "I really don't get nervous or mad at myself very much. I'm just a pretty calm person."
Davis had two hits, and Taylor Brooks delivered a run-scoring single in the fourth for Monroe (15-11), the No. 4 seed.
Hornets coach Keith Truesdell said his team's offensive ability fuels a never-say-die attitude.
"I don't feel like our confidence ever waned," Truesdell said. "We had confidence all the way up to the last batter. But Ross is a good team."
Minotto was sidelined by a leg injury about half the season and hasn't thrown a lot for the Hornets, but she kept them in the game with a battling effort in the circle.
Monroe had no errors and turned a pair of inning-ending double plays.
"I'm not ashamed of the way we played," Truesdell said. "We'd hoped for a little better record this season, but we only had three returning players. Next year, we're going to be a very tough team."
Danielle Wilson notched a pair of hits for the Rams, including an RBI triple in the bottom of the first. Fernandez had two hits and two RBIs, Kenna Sheehan and Anna Walters both had two hits, and Rachael Connaughton and Shelby Richardson each connected for an RBI double.
"I didn't like falling behind in the first inning, but I wasn't really worried," Paul Fernandez said. "You've got to have faith in your team. If you come this far and can't score more than one run, you probably deserve to get beat."
Third-seeded Valley View defeated No. 2 West Carrollton 9-6 in Saturday's lower-bracket sectional final.
Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2194
or rcassano@coxohio.com.
