CATO - It's safe to assume that there's some frustration built up in the Cato-Meridian softball program over the last couple of decades.
The 2008 team took that frustration out on the ball - and Tully - in the Blue Devils' first playoff win in 17 years as Cato-Meridian laid down a 28-7 drubbing in the first round of the Section III, Class C-1 playoffs Tuesday. The seventh-seeded Blue Devils travel to face No. 2 Westmoreland in the quarterfinals in a 5 p.m. start Thursday.
“I was surprised that we beat (Tully) by so much because the last time, it wasn't this bad,” sad Blue Devils sophomore Michelle Townsend said. “We really brought our game today.”
The Blue Devils earned a win over the Black Knights earlier this season, but in a game that saw a much tighter score. In the leadoff spot, Townsend led the offensive attack, with two home runs, a single and five RBIs. Her two-out grand slam in the bottom of the first gave the Blue Devils momentum that never waned.
“It feels awesome,” Townsend said. “I was kind of going through a slump in the middle of the season, but I feel like I've got it back now.”
The team's 8-0 lead in the first inning was impressive, but not as much as the third, when they cycled through the lineup twice to pile on 16 more runs. Tully's starting pitcher Sam Corey was removed from the pitcher's circle 10 batters - and nine runs - into the third, but it didn't seem to make much difference.
Stephanie Jackson entered the circle in relief, but promptly gave up an Ashley Thomas two-run homer, the second of the inning, after Townsend blasted a solo shot two batters earlier.
The Blue Devils totaled an eye-popping five home runs overall, as freshman Amy Thomas crushed a two-run shot in the third just two batters after her older sister did the same.
“She's used to it,” said Ashley of Amy.
Outfielder Shayna Marriam rounded out the scorefest in the third with a three-run blast of her own.
“I had a feeling that we'd beat them again, but I didn't want to be too cocky about it,” said Ashley Thomas said. “But I didn't think it would be by as much as we did.”
When the dust settled, the game was a statistician's dream. The Blue Devils racked up 20 hits, seven for extra bases, on four Tully errors. Everyone played, nearly everyone contributed and just about everyone got a hit.
“We just happened to see the ball well today,” said Cato-Meridian coach Matt Tehonica.
Danielle Halstead had two hits and scored three runs, Ashley Thomas led with seven RBIs on four hits and scored three runs. With two singles and a bases-clearing double in the third, the eldest Thomas was a triple away from hitting the cycle.
“Last year, I didn't hit too well and this year has been better, but today was amazing,” she said. “It would have been nice to get a third home run, though.”
Meghan Meeks belted three hits and scored five runs, Amy Thomas roped three hits, three RBIs and scored three runs, Chelsea Townsend scored three time and Chelsea Terpening had two hits, two runs and three RBIs.
Terpening also brought in two runs in the first inning on a hard hit ball to Tully shortstop Nancy Riccardi, who was charged with a throwing error. Julie Pratt came in to replace Terpening in the fifth inning, and in addition to some spectacular plays at third, the freshman broke in a two-run single in the bottom of the sixth.
Kristi Garrigan chipped in with two runs at the bottom of the order.
Ashley Thomas got the win in the circle, totaling eight strikeouts in six innings of work. She fanned six straight as she retired batters in order in the second and third.
Corey broke up Thomas' no-hitter - and the shutout - in the fourth when she smacked an RBI double.
The Black Knights scored five runs in the fourth, but their comeback effort fell far short. Lindsey Frank blasted a solo home run in the sixth and Jackson earned a sacrifice RBI in the seventh to round out the scoring, but the Blue Devils' defense was able to hang tough. Amy Thomas came in to relieve her sister in the seventh inning.
“I didn't expect this, but we just came out hitting,” Tehonica said. “We've been out hitting the last couple of days and we got a little bit of extra hitting before the game. I told them that we needed to get back to our form, to concentrate on what we're doing at the plate and get it done.”
Next up for the Blue Devils is the No. 2 Bulldogs.
The two squads are understandably unfamiliar with one another, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. Cato-Meridian doesn't plan on straying far from its winning recipe against Tully.
“I want to see us outscore them,” Tehonica said.
“I don't know much about them other than they're the second seed. I also heard that we match up pretty well against them. We're a seventh seed, but we're a good seventh seed. We've lost some games this year that we should have won, so we could have actually been a little higher.”
His pitcher also has confidence after the school's long-awaited postseason victory.
“We need to work on our defense and know our signals a little better,” said Ashley Thomas. “But other than that, we're ready.”
Blue Devils 28
B. Knights 7
“I was surprised that we beat (Tully) by so much because the last time, it wasn't this bad,” sad Blue Devils sophomore Michelle Townsend said. “We really brought our game today.”
The Blue Devils earned a win over the Black Knights earlier this season, but in a game that saw a much tighter score. In the leadoff spot, Townsend led the offensive attack, with two home runs, a single and five RBIs. Her two-out grand slam in the bottom of the first gave the Blue Devils momentum that never waned.
“It feels awesome,” Townsend said. “I was kind of going through a slump in the middle of the season, but I feel like I've got it back now.”
The team's 8-0 lead in the first inning was impressive, but not as much as the third, when they cycled through the lineup twice to pile on 16 more runs. Tully's starting pitcher Sam Corey was removed from the pitcher's circle 10 batters - and nine runs - into the third, but it didn't seem to make much difference.
Stephanie Jackson entered the circle in relief, but promptly gave up an Ashley Thomas two-run homer, the second of the inning, after Townsend blasted a solo shot two batters earlier.
The Blue Devils totaled an eye-popping five home runs overall, as freshman Amy Thomas crushed a two-run shot in the third just two batters after her older sister did the same.
“She's used to it,” said Ashley of Amy.
Outfielder Shayna Marriam rounded out the scorefest in the third with a three-run blast of her own.
“I had a feeling that we'd beat them again, but I didn't want to be too cocky about it,” said Ashley Thomas said. “But I didn't think it would be by as much as we did.”
When the dust settled, the game was a statistician's dream. The Blue Devils racked up 20 hits, seven for extra bases, on four Tully errors. Everyone played, nearly everyone contributed and just about everyone got a hit.
“We just happened to see the ball well today,” said Cato-Meridian coach Matt Tehonica.
Danielle Halstead had two hits and scored three runs, Ashley Thomas led with seven RBIs on four hits and scored three runs. With two singles and a bases-clearing double in the third, the eldest Thomas was a triple away from hitting the cycle.
“Last year, I didn't hit too well and this year has been better, but today was amazing,” she said. “It would have been nice to get a third home run, though.”
Meghan Meeks belted three hits and scored five runs, Amy Thomas roped three hits, three RBIs and scored three runs, Chelsea Townsend scored three time and Chelsea Terpening had two hits, two runs and three RBIs.
Terpening also brought in two runs in the first inning on a hard hit ball to Tully shortstop Nancy Riccardi, who was charged with a throwing error. Julie Pratt came in to replace Terpening in the fifth inning, and in addition to some spectacular plays at third, the freshman broke in a two-run single in the bottom of the sixth.
Kristi Garrigan chipped in with two runs at the bottom of the order.
Ashley Thomas got the win in the circle, totaling eight strikeouts in six innings of work. She fanned six straight as she retired batters in order in the second and third.
Corey broke up Thomas' no-hitter - and the shutout - in the fourth when she smacked an RBI double.
The Black Knights scored five runs in the fourth, but their comeback effort fell far short. Lindsey Frank blasted a solo home run in the sixth and Jackson earned a sacrifice RBI in the seventh to round out the scoring, but the Blue Devils' defense was able to hang tough. Amy Thomas came in to relieve her sister in the seventh inning.
“I didn't expect this, but we just came out hitting,” Tehonica said. “We've been out hitting the last couple of days and we got a little bit of extra hitting before the game. I told them that we needed to get back to our form, to concentrate on what we're doing at the plate and get it done.”
Next up for the Blue Devils is the No. 2 Bulldogs.
The two squads are understandably unfamiliar with one another, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. Cato-Meridian doesn't plan on straying far from its winning recipe against Tully.
“I want to see us outscore them,” Tehonica said.
“I don't know much about them other than they're the second seed. I also heard that we match up pretty well against them. We're a seventh seed, but we're a good seventh seed. We've lost some games this year that we should have won, so we could have actually been a little higher.”
His pitcher also has confidence after the school's long-awaited postseason victory.
“We need to work on our defense and know our signals a little better,” said Ashley Thomas. “But other than that, we're ready.”
Blue Devils 28
B. Knights 7
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