Published Wednesday, April 30, 2008 11:40 PM
Updated Friday, May 02, 2008 3:32 PM
Jordan Strang (1) and Erica Kauffman (12) round the bases to head for home on Ashley Metts double.
Taylor Luff struck out 11 and allowed just one hit in leading the Lady Stags to the District 5 championship over Conley 4-0.
Ashley Metts broke the ice with a ground-rule double to right center in the Lady Stags win over Conley.
Lady Stags declaw Conway 4-0 to take championship
Sophomore Taylor Luff threw a one-hit shutout and provided the big stick with a two-run double in the home half of the first to lead the Lady Stags to a decisive 4-0 win over the Conway Tigers and the District 5 championship.
The championship is a first for Berkeley’s softball program.
No previous Lady Stags softball team has advanced this far.
“This is the first time in school history,” said Lady Stags coach Jesse Abrams. “This win was a total team effort.”
Luff started the game off in championship form, striking out two of three in the top of the first and getting South Carolina signee Evan Child to pop out.
In the bottom of the first the Lady Stags gave Luff all the cushion she’d need.
With one out Jordan Peterson walked and moved to second on Erica Kauffman’s single. Ashley Metts followed with a ground rule double to right center that scored Peterson and sent Kauffman to third. Luff then followed with a sharp grounder down the line that hit the third base bag and skipped into left field scoring both Kauffman and Metts.
“We have peaked at the right time,” Abrams said. “When we needed the big hit, we got the big hit.”
Taking a 3-0 lead into the second Luff breezed through the Lady Tigers lineup retiring seven in a row before a walk in the third and striking out five of the first nine hitters she faced. Luff took a no-hitter into the fourth before Childs broke up the bid with a solid single up the middle.
“I felt good out there,” Luff said. “My pitches were working.”
Luff K’d 10 through five innings and 11 for the game, allowing only five base runners to reach all night, two by walk, Childs’ lone hit, and a couple errors. No Lady Tiger advanced farther than second base.
In the bottom of the sixth the Lady Stags added an insurance run when Crystal Smith blooped a single down the right field line that found chalk. Rebecca Harris sacrificed her to second and an infield single by Kaleigh Williamson moved Smith to third. A sacrifice squeeze by leadoff hitter Jordan Strang scored Williamson the game’s final run.
The Lady Stags scored four runs on eight hits, upping their record to 21-9.
They will travel to the winner of the South Florence – Fort Dorchester game on Saturday.
“I’m excited for these girls and what they’ve accomplished this year,” Abrams said, unable to contain the grin that had been spreading from ear-to-ear since the game’s final out.
Williamson had two hits to lead the Lady Stags with Kauffman, Luff, Metts, Hannah Cato, Peterson, and Smith each getting a hit a piece.
Contact Dan Brown at dbrown@berkeleyind.com