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Asheville Roberson defeats St. Stephens to advance

Indians' season ended

John M. Setzler Jr.

St. Stephens’ Julia Wakefield throws to the plate against Asheville Roberson during Friday’s game at Fred T. Foard. The Rams defeated the Indians 5-4 in nine innings to advance in the state 3A playoffs.

By Allen Haynes | Hickory Daily Record

Published: May 30, 2009

NEWTON - Asheville Roberson advanced to the fourth round of the state 3A softball playoffs by literally the skin of its teeth.

The Rams defeated St. Stephens 5-4 in nine innings on Friday after three consecutive days of rainouts and a fourth day that included having the game moved to Fred T. Foard after another hard afternoon rain caused the Indians field to be unplayable.

Roberson (27-2) will face North Iredell (15-7) at home today at 3 p.m. with the winner advancing to the 3A Final Four in Raleigh beginning on Friday.

St. Stephens season comes to a close with a 24-4 record.

Roberson scored the winning run in the top of the ninth off an RBI double from Jordan Critcher that scored Kaitlin Ramsey – who had reached on a single – to lead 5-4.

After the Rams relief pitcher Ramsey got the first two Indians out in the bottom of the ninth, Lauren Simmons, Skye Robin and Holly Jones each reached on walks loading the bases. Stephanie Simmons stepped to the plate and belted a shot into the deep left centerfield gap but the Rams' Ashley Greene was able to track it down and make the catch to win the game and end the Indians season.

"It took a lot of backbone for Kaitlin (Ramsey) to step in there and get that last out after walking three straight," said Roberson coach Laura Beatty. "A lot of people would have folded right there and her team was behind her. That's why they call it a team sport, it's not an individual sport and we've preached that all year long. If our pitchers do their job we've got defense to back them up."

"That was a heck of a catch in center field," added Beatty. "But that's why we play her there."

Roberson got on the board early, scoring two runs in the first inning off an RBI single from Greene and a passed ball on a strikeout that scored Ashley Ellis, who had reached on a single.

The Rams added another run in the second as Critcher's RBI double scored Takia Morgan who had bunted her way on for a 3-0 advantage.

A run scoring double by Taylor Goode scored Brook McDonald who had singled for a 4-0 lead in the top of the third.

St. Stephens got one of those runs back in the home half of the third when a walk to Vonna Wood, followed by a double by Tranea Jones put runners at second and third. Wood scored off a fielder's choice by Lauren Simmons to trim the lead to 4-1.

The Indians rallied to tie the game at 4-all in the sixth inning. A single by Stephanie Simmons, followed by a double from Julia Wakefield led to an RBI single by Bianca Flores scoring Simmons with Wakefield moving to third. A passed ball to batter Courtney Kirby scored Wakefield and then Kirby followed with a run scoring single to score Flores and tie the game.

"I'm just very thankful that we got to play today," said St. Stephens' head coach Jan Davis. "With a lot of running around at the end of the day trying to figure out where we were going to play. I just don't believe we came out mentally ready to play. I don't want to blame it on anything, we just didn't pick up and play from the start."

"The biggest thing I can say about my team is that after they got down early, they never game up," Davis added. "You don't second guess them and you don't give up on them because they will put the bat on the ball."

Some solid defense by both teams in the seventh forced the game into extra innings.

Four St. Stephens' seniors – Robin, Stephanie Simmons, Flores and Kirby — played their final game in an Indians uniform after winning two conference titles and compiling a 82-26-14 record during their four years.

"Those girls have so much heart," Davis said. "They've played ball together since they were five or six years old and you know girls sometimes have drama, but this group has always stuck together. They've been wonderful leaders both on and off the field. They're the ones I've looked to and they've never let me down."