Published: May 09, 2008 01:39 pm         

Hitting their stride

After spotting visiting Fleming County three runs in the top of the first inning, defending regional champ Rowan County rattled the bats, and the Panther defense, for four of its own runs in the bottom half of the opening inning, Monday night. The Lady Vikings tacked on six more unanswered scores and settled for the 10-3 district win.

“With our errors, like this game, it’s always a lack of concentration,” Rowan County senior center-fielder Tanya Hall said of slow starts this season where the reigning 16th Region winner has allowed opponents to take early leads.

“Too many times when we play teams we think we should beat, we probably let our guard down too much – we have to be mentally prepared each time. I have faith that we won’t be having mental lapses come tournament time, though.”

The 61st District Tournament, where Head Coach Larry Slone’s Lady Vikings are the seven-time defending champ, is slated for May 19-21 at Bath County Middle School in Owingsville. The Lady Vikings take the field against the hosts the second night of the tournament, after Menifee County and Fleming County play in the opener. The final will be played Wednesday, May 21, at 5:30 p.m.

Rowan County is unbeaten in district action so far this season but the early-going was a little bumpy in this week’s matchup with the club from Flemingsburg.

During their first at bat, the Lady Panthers aggravated the hosts’ defense and starter Danielle Jennings for three runs with two outs.

But after second baseman Brittany Adams slapped the grounder into the dirt and fired to Amber Riddle at first for the final out, the Lady Vikings did game-winning damage from the plate in their turn at the plate in that first inning.

Kaitlyn Muncy was hit by the Fleming County’s pitcher’s first delivery then Amelia O’Hair walked. Riddle’s sacrifice fly scored Muncy and got the hosts on the board, 3-1. Hall’s infield hit allowed O’Hair to come in and sliced the visitors lead to just one run, 3-2. Rachel Burrows blasted the RBI-double to lock things up at 3 when Hall stomped the plate. Keshia McClain walked and Adams hit into a fielder’s choice to short that had Burrows account for the go-ahead, and ultimately game-winning, run.

In the top of the second, Adams fielded ground balls from the first two batters then Jennings got the third all tied up on a third-strike change up.

Rowan went down in order in the bottom of the second but strong defense in the third (Jennings stopped a line drive and fanned two more Panthers) brought the Lady Vikings back to the box. A pair of walks and another hit batsman stuffed the bases with locals. Adams’ two-run shot to center field on the first pitch to her increased Slone’s club’s lead to 6-3.

In the bottom of the fourth, Riddle doubled in Muncy, 7-3, then scored on a Fleming County error, 8-3.

Jennings pitched out of a jam in the fifth where Fleming County started off the side with a triple and actually had three hits in the at bat. But two smart defensive plays by third baseman Keshia McCLain and a fly-out grab by Laken Deharte in left halted what looked to be a Fleming County rally.

Jennings, who had missed much of the first part of the season with a pulled muscle, has been back in the circle for just a few games, O’Hair came in for relief in the sixth inning, but Jennings got the win and finished with seven strikeouts.

“I feel good finally, but my pitches are not near as controlled like I like them to be but it’s getting back,” Jennings told the local media after the win. “And my speed is not where I need it to be. But we hit the ball well and once we get on base, that’s really our strength.”

In the bottom of the fifth, Deharte’s infield hit moved Jenny Curtis to second. A pop out later, O’Hair swatted the delivery to left, scoring Curtis for 9-3.

Deharte made another grab in left to start the sixth then O’Hair recorded her first K of the night. Adams got her glove down again, her fifth put out, to retire the side.

In their final turn with the sticks, Hall and Burrows walked then McClain connected for a long fly ball to left that scored Hall for Rowan County’s final run.

“Once we get runners on base, we’re going to score runs,” Hall said.

The Lady Vikings finished runnerup at a tournament in Lexington at Bryan Station High School last weekend and the local fastpitch bunch shut out 15th Region favorite Lawrence County, 3-0, on Wednesday.

Look for more on the defending region champs in upcoming sports sections of The Morehead News. The Lady Vikings celebrate Senior Night and will honor Amelia O’Hair, Tanya Hall, Erica Gregory, Laken Deharte and Danielle Jennings next Tuesday, May 13.