gulf shores: Lady Dolphins advance to second round of sub-state playoffs with shutouts

Thursday, May 11, 2006
By DEREK BELT
Sports Reporter
GULF SHORES -- One sub-state series down, one to go.

The No. 1-ranked Gulf Shores softball team moved one step closer to the state tournament in Montgomery with a two-game series sweep of visiting Geneva in the first-round of the Class 4A sub-state playoffs Tuesday at the Gulf Shores Sportsplex.

The Lady Dolphins (52-10-1) will host sixth-ranked Rehobeth on Saturday in a best-of-three series scheduled for noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., if necessary. A series victory over the Lady Rebels would qualify Gulf Shores for state tournament play for the sixth straight year.

"We're taking it one step at a time," said GSHS coach Karen Collins. "This was one step, and now we're on the next rung of the ladder."

From a five-pitch first inning in Game 1 to a four-run first inning in Game 2, Tuesday's series was flat-out dominated by Gulf Shores. In posting 18-0 and 12-0 victories, the Lady Dolphins outscored the Lady Panthers 30-0, outhit them 25-5 and allowed only one runner to advance as far as third base.

The series victory also marked the third straight year in which Gulf Shores has swept Geneva out of the sub-state playoffs.

Haley Hopkins (28-6-1) tossed a two-hitter with five strikeouts to lead Gulf Shores to victory in the series opener, and Whitney Harris (24-4) came on to complete the sweep with a three-hit, five-strikeout performance in the second game.

At the plate, Gulf Shores got big contributions from just about everybody.

Kristen Lambert had five hits and six RBIs in the series to pace the Lady Dolphins, while Hopkins had three hits and seven RBIs and Stephanie Ivie had five hits and four RBIs.

Lisa Ybarra also had four hits and three RBIs for Gulf Shores, while LaDaire French, Harris and Rachel Williams all chipped in two RBIs apiece and Carolyn Manolakis had two hits and scored five runs.

"Our pitching speaks for itself, and today we just came out and hit well behind them," said Collins. "The bottom of our lineup got some key hits and we really haven't seen that in awhile. That makes a big difference."

In the first game of the series, Gulf Shores scored four runs in the first inning to grab the early lead then put 12 on the board in the third inning to take complete control. The Lady Dolphins sent 18 batters to the plate in the third, tallying nine hits and knocking in 10 RBIs.

In the second game, Hopkins smashed a three-run home run over the left field fence to give Gulf Shores a four-run first-inning lead. The Lady Dolphins later added three runs in the fourth and four in the sixth to stake their second blowout victory of the series.

"We haven't faced anybody that hit like that all year," said Lady Panthers coach Rudy Free, whose young club finished the season with a 14-19 mark. "It seemed like they put the ball in the holes every time they hit it. Our pitchers weren't throwing too bad, they were just hitting it. That's the best hitting team I think we've faced all year."

Tabitha Jenkins had two singles in Game 2 to lead the Lady Panthers at the plate, while Jasmine Wiggins, Theresa Johns and Tabitha Coleman tallied the other base hits.

Leannah Brinley (6-13) suffered setbacks in both games for Geneva, allowing four runs on one hit in the first inning of Game 1, and 12 runs on 10 hits in six innings of Game 2.