by Stephen M. Lewis
DigitalSports Richmond
slewis@digitalsports.com
(804) 240-2191
Coming into Tuesday’s monumental matchup with Prince George, Lacey Waldrop averaged 16 strikeouts per game.
But the talented junior only had seven strikeouts in a 4-0 loss to the Royals in the first matchup.
Boy did she make up for it.
The Florida State-bound pitcher racked up 23 whiffs in Dale’s 27 outs, as the Knights knotted up the Central District race with a 1-0 win over PG in nine innings, the Royals’ first loss of the season.
“Last game I didn’t have my best pitching,” Waldrop said. “I had a pitching lesson on this past Sunday to tune up everything and it seemed to work really, really well.”
Waldrop thoroughly dominated, with power and location, only surrendering three hits, two to Prince George’s terrific hurler, Lauren Vinson, another in the sixth to Ginny Miller.
Both reached second base on stolen bases but were left on the base paths.
PG’s Vinson turned in a sterling performance as well, with 12 strikeouts scattering four hits.
Runners reached third base twice on Vinson (Ashby Bryant – fourth inning, error & Logan Tollison – sixth, triple), but PG shut down both opportunities.
Then came the ninth inning.
With the game tied, the international rule went into affect, putting a runner on second base to start the inning. Dale executed, PG didn’t.
The Royals, ranked first in the DigitalSports Top 10 all year, couldn’t lay down a bunt and were unsuccessful in scoring their runner.
Bryant put down a nice bunt to move Waldrop to third in the bottom of the ninth for second-ranked Dale.
Next up was Kelci Simonsen, who wasn’t afraid to share Waldrop’s bright spotlight, pushing a Vinson pitch between shortstop and third to score Waldrop without a throw.
“I was completely relaxed,” said Simonsen. “I don’t get into pressure a lot.”
Though pressure games are left in the Central District, it is probable the two teams will meet again on the Saturday after the regular-season ends for the district title and the all-important automatic Central Region bid that goes with it.
“It’s tough,” Prince George coach Pat Waguespack said. “We just don’t see pitching like that often. When she’s throwing smoke … “
Prince George 000 000 000 – 0 3 1
Thomas Dale 000 000 001 – 1 4 1
Vinson and Landreth; Waldrop and Simonsen.
Records: Prince George (10-1 Central, 15-1); Thomas Dale (10-1, 16-1)
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