By Adam Rouse
Staff Writer
PENDLETON
â??? The 2006 schedule for Class 3A No. 1-ranked Pendleton Heights
has been loaded with heavyweight fights, and the Arabiansâ?? April 28 date was no
different.
What
turned out to be a critical double steal in the first inning led to the only
two runs of the game, and junior Rebecca Butlerâ??s RBI single provided pitcher
Whitney Owens all the offense she would need to lead the Arabians to a 2-0
victory over 4A No. 2 Hamilton Southeastern.
With the
win, Pendleton Heights remains undefeated at 18-0 on
the season, while the Royals drop to 13-2 (their only other loss came to 3A No.
2 New Palestine).
The
victory marked the eighth time the Arabians have defeated a ranked opponent
(including a 5-3 win the next day over Center Grove). Five of those eight wins
have come against 4A opponents, including four of the top nine teams.
Pendleton Heights has outscored its 4A opponents
16-6 and shut them out on three separate occasions.
â??Weâ??re
just hoping it makes us better,â? said Arabians coach Scott Hall. â??Weâ??re not
going to schedule pancake teams. We got better tonight â??? weâ??re not going to get
worse facing pitching like that.
â??You see
good pitching, and weâ??re only going to get better from it. Thatâ??s why we
scheduled them.â?
In front
of the largest crowd of the season and played under the lights for most of the
game, the Arabians soaked up the atmosphere and went to work right away.
After
Owens struck out two and retired the side in order to begin the contest, junior
Ashlee Clendenen collected the first of her game-high three hits to start the
home half of the first. Junior Megan Melloh was able to strike out junior
Chelsea Held for the first out, but senior Stephanie Turner reached first on an
error by third baseman Mary Snyder, which advanced Clendenen into scoring
position at second base.
Hall then
made the biggest call of the game when he signaled for a double steal. With
Snyder inching in toward the plate to guard against a bunt, it would be a foot
race to third between Clendenen and Royalsâ?? shortstop Kylie York.
Clendenen
and Turner took off, and the speedy Clendenen beat York to the bag for the
stolen base, giving the Arabians two runners in scoring position with one out
and the cleanup hitter up to bat.
â??We kind
of faked-bunt to drag her (Snyder) in a little bit, and then itâ??s a foot race
with their shortstop and Ashlee is pretty quick,â? said Hall. â??Even if we get
thrown out, we still have a kid in scoring position, so itâ??s kind of a gamble
you can take with speed on second.
â??It paid
off for us â??? it paid off for us big.â?
Butler next shot a hot liner up the middle that grazed off Mellohâ??s glove
and went straight up the middle, scoring both runners and giving Pendleton Heights a 2-0 advantage.
From that
point on, it was all about the sophomore Owens.
â??We donâ??t
want to do that all the time, as far as turning it over to her, but sheâ??s
capable if we can get her a run or two that she can just settle in and go after
the batters,â? said Hall. â??She doesnâ??t have to be careful and pitch around people
like itâ??s 0-0 and anything hit can cost her the game.
â??Two runs,
three runs, one run â??? sheâ??s able to go out and throw, and thatâ??s what you saw
tonight.â?
Owens, who
has flirted with no-hitters all year long, took one into the fourth inning this
time before Melloh hit an opposite-field double to left field, giving Hamilton
Southeastern its first baserunner.
Leftfielder
Casey Jamerson appeared to have a beat on the ball as she got into position and
waited for the ball. However, with the wind blowing from right to left, the
ball sailed over Jamersonâ??s head to give Melloh the two-base hit.
Unfortunately
for the Royals, there were already two outs, and Owens forced a pop up to the
catcher to end the inning.
The
Arabians were able to put some additional pressure on Melloh in the bottom half
of the inning when senior Allison Clarke followed an Owensâ?? walk with a single
through the left side to put runners on first and second.
Melloh
regrouped, however, fanning sophomore Shonda Garringer and forcing Jamerson to
ground out to end the threat.
Owens,
meanwhile, cruised through the fifth and sixth innings, facing the minimum six
batters while striking out three.
Freshman
Kathleen Maloof collected a two-out single for Southeastern in the seventh, but
Snyder grounded out to short to end the game.
Owens, who
tossed all seven innings, retired the side in order in five frames and finished
with 11 strikeouts while giving up just two hits.
Melloh was
no slouch, either â??? she allowed just the two runs (one earned) on six hits and
fanned 12 batters herself.
Clendenen was
3 for 3 to lead all batters, and each base hit came with the junior leading off
an inning.
â??Ashlee just
broke out tonight,â? Hall said. â??To do that against that level of pitching was
phenomenal, so it was a big game for her.â?
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