Published Friday, May 02, 2008 3:37 PM
Updated Friday, May 02, 2008 3:38 PM
Lady Knights triumph over Wave, 1-0
“Wow!” was the word Stratford Head Coach Debra Tolar kept saying after the Lady Knights captured a 1-0 win over Summerville for the district championship Thursday.
“I can’t begin to describe how proud I am of this team and what they did to get here,” Tolar said. “They have worked exceptionally hard and deserve to have won this game.”
In a scoreless game going into the bottom of the sixth, Stratford’s Cristy Hudson hit a stand up double to center field. With two outs and a runner in scoring position, senior shortstop Jordan Smith blasted a double to drive in the only run of the game before the side was retired.
“It felt so good to get that hit,” Smith said. “Cristy and I are the seniors on the team and for us to have been able to get those hits in this game was phenomenal.”
Summerville’s defense kept the Lady Knights at bay for most of the outing. In the bottom of the fourth, a single by Hudson and a double by Casey Miller put two Stratford runners in scoring position before two groundouts and a tagged runner ended the inning.
Summerville Pitcher Malori Myers went three and out in the bottom of the fifth with one strike out and two groundouts.
The Green Wave was close to putting runs on the board in the top of the sixth. Back to back singles by Emily Purcell and Ashley Muckelvaney combined with a sacrifice bunt by Brittney Koester put two Summerville runners in scoring position with one out.
A single by Rochelle Lyda sent Muckelvany headed for home but was stopped at the plate by Stratford catcher Erin Schattle for the out. A ground out by Myers ended the Green Wave’s chance at putting runs on the board and the Lady Knights escaped unscathed.
Stratford Pitcher Caroline Pastre improved her record to 21-3 with four strikeouts and one hit batter for the game.
“She pitched a good game out there tonight,” Stratford pitching coach Marissa Echenique said. “I’m extremely pleased with the way Caroline has pitched this season. I think she knows that the whole team is behind her when she is throwing and it gives her confidence.
“She spends time after every practice working on her skills at the mound and I couldn’t ask for more from a pitcher.”
The Lady Knights will travel to Colleton County Saturday for the first round of the lower state final four.
When asked what Stratford’s game plan for Saturday would be, Tolar just smiled.
“I hear coaches asked what their game plan is all the time,” she said. “I make my lineup and leave it to the team to play the way they know how. We have a great team and I’m confident they will play to the best of their ability.”