By Robert Morgan | Published Sunday, April 19, 2009
There is no doubt that the Chico High School girls' softball team is the most improved in District 9-2A as it has snapped a four-game losing streak by winning four of its last five games to move right back into the thick of the playoff race.
The Lady Dragons' late-season momentum carried over into a pivotal showdown with Paradise on Tuesday. Unlike their one-run win in extra innings three weeks ago, this time the Lady Dragons unleashed an offense that coach Mike May has not seen in awhile, and that led to a lopsided 12-2 home win over Paradise.
Chico, which got three hits each from seniors Rachel McKinley and Delani Long, scored all its runs in the final five innings of the game. Paradise had only one fielding error as CHS consistently put the ball in the gaps.
"The girls played really well again, and they have to continue to be focused in this stretch run to make the playoffs," May said. "We pounded out 15 hits against a strong pitcher who had dominated us in our earlier meeting."
The win allowed Chico to hold on to third place at 7-4 in district play and 12-11 for the season. Paradise slipped to 4-7 in league play and is out of the postseason race.
After battling through a scoreless first inning, the Lady Dragons welcomed Paradise to their lair in the bottom of the second when the bats began to heat up.
Long ended the silence when she blasted a double to left field, scoring Hannah Avants, who had walked, to make it 1-0.
Shelby Collins made her way to first base and quickly scored, as did Long, when Nikki Weatherly ripped a two-run double to center field. Freshman Malori Moss knocked in the final run when she slammed a triple to right field that scored Weatherly and put CHS in front 4-0.
The Lady Dragons threatened to put the game out of reach in the third inning when they got runners on second and third base with no outs. They did get one run when Kacie Walker beat the tag at home on a fielder's choice to make it 6-0, but the Lady Panthers escaped any more damage thanks to the defensive work of Meg Arthur and Hannah Runnels.
Paradise ended its offensive silence in the fourth inning when Baleigh Newman smashed a fastball from pitcher Jessica Coffman over the left field wall for a solo home run to make it a 5-1 contest. Coffman, who allowed just four hits all night, struck out the next two batters to get out of the inning.
Chico responded in a big way with five hits in the bottom half of the inning to score three more times and go ahead 8-1. McKinley scored first when she led off with a double to deep right field and scored on a single by Moss, while Stephanie Stephens and Long followed with RBI singles.
McKinley found her way home again in the fifth inning when she drew a one-out walk and soon scored on a double by Coffman to make it 9-1.
Paradise scored its final run of the night in the sixth inning. Candace McDaniel led off with a single to center and scored on a double from Casey Fletcher to trim the deficit to 9-2.
Chico escaped the jam when third baseman McKinley turned a double play by catching a line drive and making the throw to second base to pick off the runner.
The Lady Dragons ended the game an inning early by scoring three times in the bottom half of the sixth inning to take a 10-run lead. McKinley cranked out her second RBI double of the night, and Moss lined an RBI single to left, scoring Walker and Avants to end the game.
"Jessica pitched a great game and our defense continues to play very well as it had no errors once again," May said. "We're definitely playing the best that we have all year, and it has come at the right time as we continue to battle for one of the playoff spots. I'm very proud of our team and excited to watch them perform so well (late in the season)."
