THURSDAY, APRIL 27, 2000

Old Fort beats Seneca East, remains in second behind Calvert

By Dave Feltner
Sports Editor

ATTICA -- After winning three consecutive league championships and making three trips to the regional tournament, It would be hard to imagine the Old Fort softball team two games behind in the Midland Athletic League race before the month of May.

But Tuesday night at the Seneca East Athletic Complex, the Stockaders needed a pair of dramatics at the plate, and another one in the field, to make sure that scenario wasn't played out.

Erin Rau's single in the seventh helped send the game to extra innings, and Rachel McCalla's double in the eighth sealed the Stockaders' 5-4 victory, keeping Old Fort in second place behind Calvert.

The Senecas stayed unbeaten in the MAL (5-0) with a 6-5 win over North Baltimore. Old Fort is 5-1 (9-3 overall), while Seneca East slips to 3-2 (7-4 overall).

Calvert and Old Fort are scheduled to play May 3 at Old Fort.

"We talked about playing more as a team last night (after the Stockaders scored five runs in the seventh to beat Eastwood)," Old Fort coach Ron Rau said. "And we had several girls step up when we needed them tonight. Rachel had the game-winner, Erin came through with two outs ... a lot of times you see kids say 'That's it,' but these kids came back twice.

"We really have some kids playing out of position, and they're just getting used to it. We only lost two (players) from last year, but they were a third baseman and a shortstop who both played four years."

The Stockaders saw a 2-0 lead salt away when the Tigers scored twice in the fifth and once in the sixth

And Old Fort appeared ready to be left for dead when Seneca East left fielder Lori Bumb made a diving grab off a Jenice Egbert liner to put the Tigers one out from victory.

But with Breena McCool on second, Erin Rau scorched a grounder under Haleigh Conley's glove at first to bring home the tying run.

Lauren Lee pinch-ran for Rau, and came home with the go-ahead run when Rosy Ortiz reached on an error.

But the Tigers still had one more shot, and they came out swinging in the bottom of the seventh.

Kelly King started things with a single and moved to second on Conley's sacrifice. Megan Nagel walked and Laurie Kochel tied the game with a single to right.

Charissa Thompson reached safely on a bunt to load the bases with one out, but Rau got April Hafner to ground into a 1-2-3 double play to send the game to extras.

"We definitely had our opportunities," Seneca East coach Rick Bumb said. "When we got down 2-0 I said 'Oh, here we go again.' But the girls came back nice and took the lead. The girls played well, every one of them, so I can't complain at all. April pitched a great game, but she just ran out of gas."

Hafner walked Jennifer Seigley to open the eighth, and coach Bumb quickly brought in Joleen Williams. The first batter Williams faced was McCalla, who doubled to center to bring in Seigley with the game-winner.

Rau, who struck out eight and improved to 8-2 on the mound, worked a perfect eighth to seal it.

Ortiz and Heather Webb (triple) both had a pair of hits for the Stockaders.

Charissa Thompson had three of the Tigers' nine hits.

"I think the kids are starting to have fun if anything else," coach Rau said. "We had to come back last night and we came back twice tonight, so it's been an exciting two days.

"Our pitching is pretty good right now, although Erin didn't pitch her best game tonight," he said. "I think once all the girls get used to their positions, and hopefully the sticks will come around, that we'll be all right."