Friday — May 7, 2004

Softball team earns share of SCIC title

Wood River downs Declo 10-2

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By JEFF CORDES
Express Staff Writer

Staked to an early 7-0 lead, senior pitcher Chandin Persaud pitched the Wood River High School softball team to a share of the Sawtooth Central Idaho Conference regular-season championship Tuesday in Hailey.

Persaud (7-4) scattered eight hits, whiffed eight and walked only one as Wood River handled the Declo Hornets 10-2 in the final SCIC game of the season. Catcher Camey Anderson and DH Barbara Coleman each drove in two runs for the Wolverines.

Coach Chris Cey’s Wolverines got all the runs they needed in the second inning, helped by three Hornet errors. Wood River sent 12 batters to the plate and scored seven runs. Koree Hawkes belted an RBI hit and Anderson, who led off with a single, batted again and ripped a two-run single to make the score 7-0 Wolverines.

Persaud’s 100-pitch outing included clutch strikeouts to strand four Hornet runners at third. Left fielder Nikki Calzacorta threw a Declo runner out at home, and second baseman Sydney Leopold turned a double play. Tiffany Wheeler scored two runs for Hailey and Emily Smith had two hits to the seven-hit attack.

With the win, Wood River (10-10 overall, 6-2 SCIC) finished tied for first place in the SCIC with defending state champ Buhl (14-5, 6-2). But Buhl earned the top seed in this week’s SCIC tourney by virtue of a coin flip conducted by athletic directors from the five SCIC schools on Monday.

Wood River, which lost the non-conference nightcap 15-5 to Declo Tuesday, will once again entertain the #3-seeded Hornets (12-9, 3-5) today, Friday at 5 p.m. at South Valley Sports Complex in Hailey in the first round of the SCIC tournament.

Also today, #1-seeded Buhl will host the winner of Thursday’s first-round game between #4 Filer (11-11, 3-5) and #5 Kimberly (9-13, 2-6). If Buhl and Wood River advance today, they’ll clash Saturday, May 8 at 11 a.m in the semi-final on Buhl’s diamond.

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