By Charles Ray Harper
Playing at Buffalo's softball complex at Buffalo Park Wednesday evening April 18. 2007, the Lady Bisons hosted their cross-river rival Lady Generals.
Darrell Moore had his Ladies primed and ready to pounce on the Lady Generals . Chuck Slater's Winfield girls also had their adrenaline glands ready to play softball. You could feel the energy on both sides on both the Green and Gold side and The Blue and Gold side. And you could see that both sides was very raucous and would be hoarse after this game.
This was a game of two Putnam County softball juggernauts. Both teams have All-State players and others that should be All-State.
In the Varsity game Winfield came out with their adrenaline flowing, as they jumped out to a 2 - 0 lead in the first half inning of play.
It got started when two time junior All-Stater Ashlea Wallce led off with a hit. Then junior 1st baseman Lorren Cullen got on base off an error by The Lady Bisons. Wallace then scored off a fielders choice by senior all state catcher Chelsea Bell. Junior centerfielder Ashton Anderson drove in Lorren Cullen with a hit. Winfield jumped out to a 2 - 0 lead. Sophmore rightfielder Ashley Brown got a hit. Finally senior pitcher Bri Winter closed out the inning with a strikeout.
It didn't take Buffalo long to answer as The Lady Bisons erupted for two runs of their own in the bottom of the inning. Buffalo's second batter senior All-State pitcher Bri Winter got on from an error. Buffalo sophomore All-State 3rd baseman Jessica Blake hit a deep two-run home run that carried way over the fence. The game was tied 2 - 2.
It was like a heavyweight prize fight and it seemed like nobody could get the knockout punch. Both defenses and pitchers played just great softball.
Neither squad could get a walk or an error or anything until the 6th inning when sophomore catcher Brittany Williams doubled in senior 2nd baseman Brittany Barnett who got on off a Winfield error. Senior pitcher Bri Winter got on with a hit and both scored in the 6th inning. Buffalo led 4 - 2 after six innings of play.
The last three outs was 1st - On a failed bunt attempt when pitcher Bri Winter fielded the ball and threw to sophomore Kaitlyn Scott at 1st base. ( 2nd game back from her injury ) 2nd - senior 2nd baseman Brittany Barnett stabbed the ball and threw to at 1st to Kaitlyn Scott. (The bases were loaded with sophomore 3rd baseman Jennifer Francis got on for Winfield with a hit. Senior pitcher Kristen Workman got on with a hit. Shortstop Ashlea Wallace got on with a walk.) The 3rd out was when Bri Winter struck out the Winfield batter to end the inning and the game 4 - 2 for a Buffalo victory.
It's a shame a team had to lose in this game it was a great game for a fan to watch.
Senior pitcher Kristen Workman pitched a great game but took the loss her first one she is now 11 - 1 She struck out 10 Lady Bison batters and gave up only 3 hits but had two errors behind her. Workman gave up no walks.
Bri Winter got the win her 9th ( 9 - 0 ) Bri scattered 6 hits and struck out five Winfield batters and had one error behind her. She gave up two walks.
Buffalo's other ace pitcher and all state candidate Nicole Dingess is now 10 - 0 with her 8 - 7 victory over St. Joe at Huntington yesterday. Nicole only gave up 3 hits it that game but had 7 Errors behind her. ( Buffalo is very young and is playing very well but that youth comes out every now and then. )
Buffalo tied the game with St. Joe in the 7th inning on a two run Double by senior right fielder Lesley Toney and junior pitcher Nicole Dingess scored on a error. Sophomore Kayla Tucker scored on a wild pitch in the top of the 9th inning for the Victory. Sophomores Jessica Blake and Brittany Herdman had two hits each for The Lady Bisons.
Having the big bat for Winfield was junior All-State pitcher Kristen Workman who was 1 of 2 hitting the ball and walked. Junior Ashlea Wallace (perhaps the best shortstop in softball ) had a hit and a walk. Junior centerfielder Ashton Anderson had a hit and drove in a run. Sophomore right fielder Ashley Brown had a hit. Sophomore 3rd baseman Jennifer Francis had a hit. Junior 1st baseman and all state candidate Lorren Cullen got on off a Buffalo Error. Senior catcher and All-Stater Chelsea Bell a run scored off her fielder's choice.
For Winfield senior 2nd baseman Kelcie Jones played well. Senior Brianna Tucker has played well in the outfield all year but is on injured reserve right now. Sophomore Melanie Williams played well all year.
Coach Slater has had help - coaches - Tim Toler, Al Jones, Greg Workman, Rusty Arthur and their team nurse - Dawn Cullen. Winfield is now 13 - 2 on the season
For Buffalo having the real big bat was sophomore Jessica Blake who had a powerful Home Run and drove in 3 runs. Sophomore Brittany Williams knocked in a run with a double. Senior all state pitcher Bri Winter had a hit and scored to help her own cause. Senior 2nd baseman Brittany Barnett got on off a Winfield Error and scored.
Senior Lesley Toney played well in right field, freshman Jo Godwin played well in left field. Sophomore Amanda Young played just great in centerfield. Sophomore 1st baseman Kaitlyn Scott played well. Lead-off batter Brittany Herdman also played well.
Coach Darrell Moore is the Dean of Putnam County softball coaches. ( for the record Buffalo was 22 - 12 last year not 12 - 12 like a few papers have reported.) Moore has some help. Assistant Coaches Jullian Cooley, Jim Mays, and Joe Martin as well as team mom LuAnn Toney all pitch in.
Thanks for the help Angie Young and the rest of the Buffalo fans including Jared Moore a senior at Buffalo High School. I let Jared write the JV story. He and his dad, Jerry, have always helped me in any way they could and this game was the same. I'd also like to thank Howard Young for his help and his sister Amanda and Kayla Tucker and Cory Legg just for being great kids. Greg Rose has always been a help. And Jesse Blake for not hitting me with a softball that would hurt more than a volleyball or a basketball.
I would like to also thank Darrell Moore for all his help. He and his people make it easier. And coaches Julian Cooley and Joe Martin. And thanks coach Chuck Slater and his asst. Rusty Arthur who has always been a great help.
Runs Hits Errors Walks
Winfield Lady Generals 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 2 6 2 2
Buffalo Lady Bisons 2 0 0 0 0 2 X - 4 1 0
( extra innings - 9 )
Buffalo Lady Bisons 0 2 2 0 0 0 3 0 1 - 8 10 7
Huntington St. Joe 3 0 0 3 0 1 0 0 0 - 7 3 3
Junior Varsity game
Lady Generals Edge Lady Bisons
By Jared Moore
In a game played right after the Varsity game, most of the fans stayed around for this contest giving it much of the same atmosphere as the varsity game.
Winfield came out and scored fast making it 1 - 0. Then Buffalo scored and it was 1 - 1 after one inning of play.
The Lady Generals did most of their damage in the 3rd inning. Winfield scored five runs behind two doubles by freshman Stevie Cooper who drove in 2 runs. She also had the other RBI in the 1st inning scoring freshman catcher Holly Brown who had a hit . Freshman outfielder Olivia Arthur also drove in a run with a hit in the third. Olivia Arthur also stole home in the third inning. Sophomore first baseman Melanie Williams also stole home and drove in a run in the third inning with a hit. Sophomore pitcher Shannan Slater drove in a run with a hit in the third inning.
Winfield's JV took a 6 - 1 lead and were in command. But Buffalo wasn't done just yet.
The Lady Bisons started a comeback in the 4th inning with three runs on freshman Julia Casto's. That drove in freshman Kelsi Casto who had walked and stole two bases. Sophomore Amanda Young was also walked and stole two bases. Then Young stole home. Freshman Tiffany Sisson was hit by a pitch and stole a base. Sophomore 1st baseman Hannah Lloyd had a hit and stole two bases and scored. Freshman catcher Jo Goodwin had a hit. Sophomore Brittany Herdman was 2-of-3 hitting the ball and drove in a run. Freshman Julia Casto was 2-of-3 at the plate. Junior Nicole Dingess got on off an error and walked. Junior Holly Wills played well at second base. Freshman Kelsi Casto walked, scored, and stole two bases.
Pitching for The Lady Bisons in the 1st inning was sophomore Jessica Blake. In the second inning sophomore Kayla Tucker. Jo Goodwin also pitched as well as sophomore Kaitlyn Scott. Between them they gave up seven hits and they struck out eight Winfield batters. They walked four and had two errors behind them.
Pitching for Winfield was sophomore Shannon Slater. She handled the first 3 innings. Freshman Olivia Arthur came in as relief for the last two innings. They combined to scatter five hits, gave up three walks and struck out four Lady Bison batters. Shannon got the win and Olivia got the save.
Leading Winfield at the plate was freshman 3rd baseman Stevie Cooper who swatted two doubles and drove in three runs for The Lady Generals. Sophomore 1st baseman Melanie Williams had a hit, drove in a run, and stole home. Freshman outfielder and pitcher Olivia Arthur had a hit and drove in a run and stole home also had a pitching save. Sophomore pitcher Shannan Slater pitched a great game . Shannan got a hit, drove in a run and walked. Sophomore 2nd baseman Beth Savilla walked and scored. Sophomore outfielder Cara Dodrill had a hit. Sophomore outfielder Katie Ball walked twice. Freshman shortstop Courtney Watson played well at short and made some great stabs in the hole. Freshman outfielder Katie Hunter played hard.
Winfield Lady Generals JV 1 0 5 0 0
Buffalo Lady Bisons JV 1 0 0 3 0 0
