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Fourth-inning salvo fuels Tigers blowout

Paul Hershey

Sports Correspondent

Published: May 23, 2009

MOUNT PLEASANT — Mount Pleasant's potent offense was held to just one hit through the first three innings of Friday night's NCHSAA 2A second-round game against North Lincoln.
While head coach Craig Carter knew it was just a matter of time before the Tigers broke through, he certainly didn't expect the type of explosion his team ignited in the fourth inning.
Racking up seven hits and sending 11 girls to the plate, Mount broke open a scoreless game in a flash with a seven-run outburst on its way to a 10-1 victory.
"I can't be more confident because I know we've got the tools and the artillery to get it done," Carter said. "All of a sudden it just happens and you're like, 'man, seven runs.' That was just crazy.
"I'm proud of them. To beat that team 10-1 says a lot."
The win also earned the Tigers (26-2) a shot at two-time defending state champion Central Davidson for a third-round showdown on Tuesday at Mount Pleasant High.
"The old saying is to be the best you have to beat the best and for the past two years Central Davidson's been the best," Carter said.
For a while against North Lincoln, it appeared Mount was headed for a tense, nail-biting game determined by one or two runs.
North Lincoln pitcher Amanda Farabaugh wasn't blowing the Tigers away, but she was forcing them to hit the ball in the air. The Knights' recorded seven of their first 10 outs on popups or flyballs.
"We were lunging to the ball and getting underneath everything," Carter said. "She was bringing it in up high and we just had to make the adjustment to make her bring the ball down. When we started laying off the high stuff, she brought it down and we started hitting the ball."
Did they ever.
With one out in the inning, Taylor Miller got it all started with an infield hit on a sharp grounder to third. Alley Kindley then lined a double to the left-field corner and Sarah Ritchie plated the game's first run with a single up the middle — the first of three straight RBI hits. Kristin Ross followed with another single to center and Emily Lewis' liner to left-center made it 3-0.
"The bottom of the half of my lineup has been huge the last two games," Carter said.
After Ross scored on a fielder's choice groundball, Georgia Parker capped the onslaught with a three-run homer just inside the left-field foul pole.
"She's probably struggled more at the plate the past four or five games than anybody," Carter said. "She's making contact and got some bloop singles, but she wasn't hitting the ball hard. For her to get a hold of that ball was just incredible. I was about ready to jump out of my shoes I was so excited."
The Tigers tacked on three more runs on five more hits in the sixth. Allison Starnes, Joceyln Parnell and Ritchie had RBI singles.
Mount finished with 14 hits, with Kindley going 3 for 3 and Parker, Parnell and Ritchie each collecting two.
However, until the offense got going, it was up to Taylor Carpenter and the Tigers' defense to keep the game scoreless.
North Lincoln put pressure on early and had runners on in six of the seven innings, but could only manage a single run in the fifth — after Mount had broken it open.
Carpenter worked around base hits in the first and second before escaping a big jam in the third. After a single and a walk put runners on first and second with nobody out, Carpenter got a groundball back to her for a forceout at third and Miller made a nice charge on a bunt for the second out, leaving runners at second and third.
Carpenter then got a swinging strike on the next batter and Lewis threw to third, catching the runner in a rundown. Miller threw home, Lewis blocked the plate and made the tag to end the threat.
"To hold them scoreless right there was big," Carter said.
The play was one of eight putouts for Miller at third, while shortstop Starnes had five.
"Our defense is playing out of their mind," Carter said. "It's hard to get through (the left side). Those two over there have got to be the best shortstop-third base tandem in the state. I'm put them up against anybody."
Backed by that solid defense, Carpenter scattered seven hits, struck out four and walked just one.
"That's a good-hitting team," Carter said. "She pitched great. Her back's hurting her, but she's a gamer. That's what we needed and she came through bigtime."
Led by star pitcher Chelsea Leonard, No. 2 seed Central Davidson pulled out a 3-0 extra-inning win over No. 1 seed Starmount Friday night, allowing the Tigers to play a third straight game at home.
"Our confidence level is up right now because they're playing hard and being aggressive, but to beat Central Davidson would be huge," Carter said. "I'm ready. In order for us to win a state championship we have to beat the best teams so I say bring them on. These girls are fantastic. They work hard and the effort and energy in the dugout, I can't ask for any more."
The Tigers faced Leonard in a third-round game in 2006, falling 3-1.
If Mount gets past Central Davidson this time, it would also play at home in the quarterfinal round against either West Lincoln or Ledford because of a higher seeding priority.