Lady Rockets Stopped in Semis

The Lady Rockets put up a good fight in the Class A State Softball Tournament but they could not overcome the Christian Academies of Friendship and Trinity.

The Lady Rockets got a big win over Friendship Christian, 2-0, to start things off but the win set them up against the eventual State Champions in 38-2 Trinity Christian Academy. The matchup was fierce through the first three innings with Lady Rocket Nicole Curtis holding the Lady Lions in check. Ellen Renfroe returned the favor for Trinity and the game came down to timing at the plate. The Lady Rockets scattered two hits in the contest but Trinity punched out six including a pair when it counted in the fourth and in the fifth. Their two-run lead held up and kept Trinity in the winner's bracket while forcing the Lady Rockets to slug it out in the loser's bracket.

The Huntingdon boys had felt the wrath of the Rockets earlier in the tournament and now it was the girls' turn. The Lady Rockets demolished the Lady Mustangs of Huntingdon 16-1 in only four innings as they amassed 13 hits from virtually every player on the team. A ten-run third inning all but put the game away but the Lady Rockets tacked on another in the fourth for good measure. The win put the Lady Rockets back in business as they faced Friendship Christian for the second time in the tournament.

The Lady Rockets got the start they needed plating two runs in the first on hits from Shelby Stinnett and Casey Dowler. The 2-0 lead appeared to be all they might need until the third inning when Friendship Christian began to hit the ball. Friendship pushed across three runs in the third to take the lead 3-2 and added three more in the fourth. The Lady Rockets came back with a triple from Kahla Mathis in their half of the fourth to cut the lead to 6-3 but Friendship posted one more run in the fifth to get the win 7-3.

Friendship would fall in the following round to Trinity who faced Columbia Academy in the Championship finals. It took two games to knock off the Lady Bulldogs of CA but Trinity emerged as the Class A State Champs for 2006.

Lady Rockets State Stats

Lady Rockets vs Friendship Christian (Game One)

At Star Plex May 23, 2006

At the Plate -- D. Hooper 1-2, 2b; B. Elmore 1-2, 2b; K. Moses 1-2

Lady Rockets vs Trinity Christian (Game Two)

At Star Plex May 24, 2006

At the Plate -- C. Dowler 1-3; B. Elmore 1-3

Lady Rockets vs Huntingdon (Game Three)

At Star Plex May 25, 2006

At the Plate -- C. Dowler 3-4; K. Mathis 3-4; B. Elmore 2-3; K. Moses 2-4; S. Stinnett 1-3, 2b; B. Bussell 1-2; D. Hooper 1-4, 2b;

Lady Rockets vs Friendship Christian (Game Four)

At Star Plex May 25, 2006

At the Plate -- B. Elmore 2-3; K. Mathis 1-3, 3b; S. Stinnett 1-3, 2b; C. Dowler 1-3; D. Hooper 1-3