Richardson, Kellyville beat Lady Lions on final at-bat

Posted on Oct 05, 2009 by Micah Choquette in Athletics

CHANDLER — Jacy Wilson and Kellyville coach Danny Wood made their way to home plate for the pregame coin toss, just like they had done in every other neutral-site game this season. There waiting for the Kellyville duo was the entire Chandler team — ready to call heads or tails to determine the home and visiting teams.

“I don’t know if it was an intimidating thing he (Chandler coach Bryan Herring) was trying, or what,” Wood said. “But these girls aren’t going to be intimidated. They’ve played thousands of softball games over their career.”

When the coin went up, Chandler called tails. It came up heads.

Wilson and Wood won the toss against the 23 members of the Lady Lions’ squad, and it paid game-changing dividends nearly two hours later at Lady Lions Stadium.

With Class 3A No. 10 Kellyville designated as the home team, Paige Richardson turned the pregame victory into a postgame celebration.

With two outs in the bottom of the seventh, Richardson rifled a two-out single to right field that scored Taylor Todd to give the Lady Ponies a 4-3 triumph over seventh-ranked Chandler in the winner’s bracket game of the Class 3A regional tournament.

“It was just awesome,” said Richardson, who was mobbed by her teammates �“ and Wood �“ in the middle of the infield after coming up with the game-winning hit.

The sophomore slugger, who also picked up the victory on the mound, knew she had to stay focused and relaxed in order to drive home the winning tally.

“I knew I had to be calm and not over excited because I did really good at hitting this girl (Chandler pitcher Shawna Hunt) tonight,” Richardson said following her 3-for-4 and two-RBI performance. “And I just hoping I would get a chance [to drive the run in].”

Todd was able to create the scoring opportunity for Kellyville (22-11) with her one-out single to center. Then, she got the steal sign to get into scoring position.

“Just slide when I get there and hopefully be safe,” Todd said when asked of her thought process before taking off for second on the first pitch of Richardson’s at-bat.

Then, when Richardson laced a single into right, Wood said there was no other choice in his mind — he was sending Todd plateward.

“Two outs, Paige hits a solid rip, and there was no doubt I was sending (Taylor) home,” Wood said. “I’m gambling right there.”

The moved paid off and advanced Kellyville to within one game of moving on to the 3A state tournament. The Lady Ponies, who have yet to pick up a loss in the double-elimination tournament, will take on the winner of the Meeker-Chandler contest this afternoon at 2.

When Kellyville opened Thursday night’s game with three runs in the opening inning, it looked like KHS was going to make the chilly night even colder for the Lady Lions.

The Lady Ponies collected four hits and took advantage of two Chandler errors in order to claim the early 3-0 edge. Wilson, Todd and Lauren Inman each scored in the inning with Richardson and Tara Gleason coming up with RBI singles.

Chandler (22-13), however, charged back and tied the game in the fourth. The Lady Lions came up with five hits, which they parlayed into three runs. Mercedes Bacon, Kalyn Terrell and Carly Martin each scored while Terrell and Lindsay Hunt picked up RBI singles.

The momentum had swung back Chandler’s way, especially with the “home” crowd coming to life following the rally.

That’s when Wood said his team overcame adversity to pull out the postseason victory.

“Good teams, great teams can fight through adversity and come up with huge wins like that,” he said.

And it helped that the Lady Ponies had faced adversity in 16 one-run games prior to Thursday.

“My dad and I talk about it all the time — about how many one-run games we’ve been in,” Wood said. “And I think that has really helped us with confidence and believing that we can pull out one-run wins.”

Wood added that strength of schedule was a factor, too.

“The schedule we played this year,” he said, “made us ready for this game right here.”

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Game recap

Key player: Richardson. The sophomore hurler pitched a complete game to pick up her 19th victory. She gave up three runs (all earned) on seven hits. She also came up with the game-winning hit in the bottom of the seventh.

Key moment: Todd’s stolen base. If the freshman shortstop had not stolen second, Richardson’s hit would not have been able to score her.

Key number: One. That’s how many games Kellyville has to win Friday to advance to the Class 3A state tournament.

Notes: Richardson did not allow the heart of the Chandler lineup to get on base. The Lady Lions’ No. 1 through No. 5 hitters went a combined 1 for 14. … The victory for Kellyville avenged a loss to Chandler earlier in the season. At the Kellyville Festival in late August, the Lady Lions knocked off KHS, 3-1.

HOW THEY SCORED — Kellyville vs. Chandler (regional tournament)

• Kellyville first: Lauren Inman led off and singled to center. Taylor Todd reached base on an infield single to the pitcher, Inman to second. Jacy Wilson reached on a fielding error by Chandler pitcher Shawna Hunt, Inman to third, Todd to second. Paige Richardson singled to right, Inman scored, Todd to third, Wilson to second. With one out, Kelsey Underwood reached on a fielding error by Chandler shortstop McKenzie Solberg, Todd scored, Wilson to third, Richardson to second. Tara Gleason singled to left, Wilson scored, Richardson to third, Underwood to second. Kellyville 3, Chandler 0.

• Chandler fourth: Desmyn Herring led off and singled to right. Kaetlyn Carver sacrificed to third, Mercedes Bacon (running for Herring) to second. With one out, Hunt singled to left, Bacon to third, Hunt to second on Kellyville left fielder Baylee Bolton’s throwing error. Kalyn Terrell reached on an infield single to second, Bacon scored, Hunt out at third, Terrell to second. With two outs, Carly Martin singled to center, Terrell to third. During Lindsay Hunt’s at-bat, Terrell scored on a wild pitch, Martin to second, Martin to third on throw home. Hunt singled to right, Martin scored. Kellyville 3, Chandler 3.

• Kellyville seventh: With one out, Todd singled to center. With two outs, during Richardson’s at-bat, Todd stole second. Richardson singled to right, Todd scored. Kellyville 4, Chandler 3.

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