South ready for comeback after loss
By John Denny
Staff Reporter

West pitcher Stephanie Bolt helped beat the South team with both her arm and her bat. Photo by RUSLANA LAMBERT

USA South’s Nikki Myers’s infield single deep in the hole to second base ignited a four consecutive hit rally, scoring two runs. But the rally would end after USA West starting pitcher Stephanie Bolt got Leslie Poole to ground out into an easy inning-ending force out at third base, to secure an 8-2 opening-round USA West victory.

“We got ahead, and that last out is always tough,” USA West Manager Mike Bates said.

Bolt was cruising up until USA South hit four consecutive singles in the bottom of the seventh. She’d pitched a complete game on only 90 pitches, allowed two hits (six in all), one walk and struck out 11, including two on seven pitches to start the bottom of the seventh.

“She pitched an excellent game,” said USA South assistant head coach Barry Poole. “She mixed her pitches, brought good speed and held the inside half of the plate.

“We should’ve moved off the plate earlier,” Poole acknowledged.

By moving off the plate a fraction, USA South was able to string some hits together in the seventh, according to Poole.

Bolt (1-0) helped her cause by going 3-4 with a hat trick’s worth of stand-up doubles, including a game-high three RBI. Santana Sanchez’s RBI sacrifice bunt in the bottom of the third put USA South on the board, 1-0. They extended their lead to 3-0 on a pair of RBI singles by Tera Sutton and Samm Leivas in the next inning. Bolt tacked on the fourth run on an RBI double in the fifth.

USA West distanced themselves in the sixth inning with four more runs, two of which were punched in by Bolt.

USA West recorded nine hits and one walk. USA South starting pitcher Brittney Watson (0-1) earned the loss while striking out four. She walked one while allowing only two runs on three hits before making way for Poole in the fourth. Poole struck out three and allowed five hits.

USA South Manager Tim Myers mentioned that his South team had lost one game in the district, state and regional tournament upon making the Senior Softball League World Series and was optimistic that they would rebound and continue the trend throughout the tournament.

“I’m just hoping this is our one loss,” he said.