Sissies score three in the sixth inning to rally past Iowa Park
By Robert Morgan | Published Sunday, April 26, 2009
For five innings Tuesday night the Bridgeport High School softball team could not get anything going against standout pitcher Tara Yarborough. The Sissies managed to get only two runners into scoring position during those frames but could never muster a clutch hit.
Trailing 1-0, the Sissies came out swinging in the sixth inning when they dished out four of their nine hits and scored all three of their runs en route to a 3-1 home victory.
The win, which also eliminated Decatur and Iowa Park from playoff contention, puts Bridgeport in the Class 3A state playoffs for the first time since 2006 and the second time this decade. The Sissies will finish third behind champion Burkburnett and Vernon and will likely face West in the second round of the playoffs.
Bridgeport overcame a slow start to seal its playoff fate against Iowa Park. The Hawks used an error and a single to score once in the first inning and take a 1-0 lead.
Bridgeport flirted with a run in the bottom half when Kelly Kemp got the first of her three hits to lead off the inning. She moved to third base on a single to left field by Bailey Jones but was stranded there when the Hawks struck out the final batter to protect their lead.
Both defenses were solid the rest of the way behind good pitching on both sides.
The Sissies were held scoreless the first five innings but came close to scoring again in the fifth inning when they loaded the bases on singles by T-Rae Stone and Kemp and a walk to Jones. However, Iowa Park escaped more trouble by ending the inning with a strikeout.
Iowa Park threatened to extend its lead in the top of the sixth inning but the Sissies turned a spectacular 6-3-5 double play.
Bridgeport got the big inning coach Heath Iglesias was waiting for in the bottom half of the sixth. Johnson and Janell Biles led off with back-to-back singles. One out later Huff smacked an RBI single to left field to score Johnson and even the score at 1-1.
Jordyn Hulsey executed a squeeze bunt to perfection to score Biles and make it safely to first base. Iowa Park attempted to pick off Hulsey at second base which allowed Huff to run home from third base and make it 3-1.
Stone, who was solid all night and held the Hawks to just four hits, had no walks and allowed only two runners to get in scoring position.
