Bison softball team survives upset-minded Lexington squad

Friday, October 10, 2003
McCook High School sophomore shortstop Jillian Bryant takes a mighty cut against Alliance during the Bison team's first-round Class B-6 District game Thursday afternoon at Jaycees Sports Complex.

There was quite a contrast to the McCook Bison softball team's two Class B-6 District game Thursday.

In their district opener Thursday afternoon at Jaycees Sports Complex, the Bison cruised past Alliance 13-0 in a three-inning run-rule game.

The second game Thursday night was a different matter as the Bison needed nine innings to thwart Lexington's upset bid 2-1.

McCook (28-1) advanced to the district title game at 1 p.m. today. The Bison will take on the winner of the Lexington-Gering consolation championship played this morning.

In the 13-0 victory over Alliance, McCook hitters banged out 13 hits. Lisa Friehe threw a three-inning one-hitter. She struck out six and walked one.

McCook scored three runs in the first inning, eight in the second and two in the third to end the game on the 12 runs after three innings run-rule.

In the first inning, Michelle Gaunt walked, stole second and scored on Lindsey Dame's single. Dame was sacrificed to second by Maggie Jones and scored on Friehe's single.

Kassi Cunningham pinch-ran for Friehe. She went to second on a wild pitch, stole third and scored on Melissa Ankersen's sacrifice fly.

In the second inning, Kaitlin Powell, Kim Serbousek, Gaunt, Jones and Jillian Bryant singled. Dame and Ankersen doubled.

In the third inning, Jones smacked a two-run triple that scored Gaunt and Dame to end the game on the run rule.

The McCook-Lexington matchup was a pitcher's dual between Friehe and Lexington's Kelsey Roberts.

Friehe allowed five hits, struck out 16 and walked three. Roberts gave up seven hits, struck out 11 and did not walk a batter.

Friehe now has 200 strikeouts this season.

"When they had to, both pitchers threw well with runners on base," said McCook softball coach Dale Lortz.

Gaunt and Bryant each had two hits for the Bison. Friehe, Ankersen and Kaitlin Powell each had one hit.

McCook had runners on base in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings, but could not move them around mainly because of Roberts. Lexington had a chance in the sixth, but Friehe struck out the last two hitters.

Lexington scored its run in the eighth when Skyler Rowe started on second base because of the international tiebreaker rule. She scored on a throwing error.

Friehe ended the rally with a strikeout and a pop-up.

McCook tied the score in the bottom of the eighth when Dame started at second base and was bunted to third by Jones. Dame slid around a tag at home plate on Friehe's long fly ball.

Lexington did not score in the top of the ninth inning. Friehe struck out two batters and the third out came on a pop-up.

McCook scored the winning run in the bottom of the ninth. Ankersen started on second base and stole third base with one out. Serbousek laid down a bunt, but Lexington could not make a play at first.

Ankersen then scored on a wild pitch on the first pitch to McCook freshman Michelle McKenna.

"Our kids did a good job of scoring in extra inning to tie the game in the eighth to send it to one more inning," Lortz said. "Then when we shut them down in the top of the ninth was big.

"Lisa Friehe came through. Kim Serbousek at first made a great play on a hard-hit ground ball (a back-handed snag on a line hop).

"You figured the game would come down to a mistake to win it and that's what happened. We had opportunities early in the game, but just could not bunch up the hits and execute. But that happens. The kids found a way to win."

Should McCook win today, the Bison will win their fifth straight district title and will be headed to the Class B state tournament next Thursday and Friday at Omaha.

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