Wednesday, April 28, 2004

Close games on the diamond

For WRHS softball team

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Close games have become routine for the Wood River High School varsity softball team this spring, but coach Chris Cey’s Wolverines are still learning how to win the close ones.

Saturday’s home twin bill against Preston’s Indians was a good example.

Chandin Persaud, Wood River pitcher, fires a hard one to a Preston batter Saturday. Express photo by Willy Cook

Playing without starters Camey Anderson, Nikki Calzacorta and Tiffany Wheeler, Wood River (3-7, 1-2 league) dropped both non-conference games 5-2 and 7-5 at South Valley Sports Complex in Hailey.

But the outcomes could have gone either way as the Wolverines—starting their 2004 home campaign on a down note—lost on their Hailey field for the first time since 2002.

In the first game, righthander Chandin Persaud (2-3) battled hard, scattering 14 hits with four walks and seven strikeouts. She worked out of numerous jams. Preston left the bases loaded three times and stranded 13 runners over seven innings.

Wood River, which trailed only 2-1 after four innings, ended up with eight hits—two apiece by catcher Jamie Stone and right fielder Koree Hawkes. But Preston’s defense tightened up when needed and stranded eight Wolverine runners in scoring position.

In the second game, junior righty Ali Sherbine (1-1) tossed an excellent five-hitter at Preston and carried a 2-1 lead into the seventh. She needed only three outs, but Preston scored six unearned runs to prevail 7-5.

Shell-shocked and trailing 7-2 in the home seventh, Wood River didn’t quit. Genii Vert launched a double in her first varsity at-bat and Sherbine (2 hits) added an RBI double. The Wolverines brought the tying run to the plate before Preston escaped the jam.

Catcher Stone added two more hits for Wood River (8 hits), going 4-for-7 on the day. Lauren Parsons scored two Wolverine runs.

The outcome meant each of Wood River’s last eight games have been settled by three runs or less, with the Wolverines going 3-5 in those games.

Wood River hosted the Kimberly Bulldogs Tuesday in a Sawtooth Central Idaho Conference doubleheader on the Hailey diamond.

It was the start a very busy week for the Wolverines, who travel to Filer Thursday, April 29 for another SCIC game, go to Skyline in Idaho Falls Friday, then entertain Buhl Saturday, May 1 at 11 a.m. in a make-up game.

Defending state champ Buhl (15-2, 4-1), beaten only by Filer 8-7 in extra innings back in March, has the inside track on the SCIC regular-season title and the first-round bye in the five-team tourney starting Friday, May 7.

By week’s end, the muddied picture should begin to clear for the rest of the SCIC—Wood River, Kimberly, Filer and Declo.

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