October 03, 2008 01:10 am
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Phoenix staff report
BERRYHILL — Opening-game jitters gave way to some renewed confidence for Hilldale in the Class 4A regional tournament here Thursday.
The Lady Hornets were knocked off in the opening round by Bethel, 4-1, but rebounded to beat Berryhill 6-1 and will play an elimination game at 12:30 p.m. today against either Blanchard or Bethel.
The offense didn’t give pitcher Danielle Riddle much to work with in the opener, but came back in the second game, led by Carlee Hester’s 3-for-3 effort at the plate. She also drove in three runs.
Riddle allowed just four hits in the opener and two hits in the victory.
“We were overswinging at stuff we probably shouldn’t have been swinging at all in the first game, so yeah, I’d probably attribute it to nerves,” Hilldale coach Matt Ross said. “But give the girls credit. They fought back and fought hard and still have themselves in the thick of it. They’ve just got to go out (today) and put up 21 more innings like it.”
The winner of the 12:30 game — which would be Hilldale’s 20th victory of the season — would then have to beat the Blanchard-Bethel winner twice to qualify for state. Hilldale is unranked in the Okrankings.com 4A poll. Blanchard is No. 8 and Bethel is No. 9.
Hilldale will take a 19-6 record into today’s action.
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