Lady Dogs have revenge in mind

By Cody Pastorella
The Port Arthur News

May 07, 2008 10:12 pm

— Nederland softball lost just two players from last year's squad. Lady Dogs' head coach Sissy Yeaman said most of the players from that team are a part of this year's team, which means losing to Richmond Foster in the third-round of the Class 4A softball playoffs in 2007 is still fresh on the mind in Nederland's dugout.
The Lady Dogs were defeated in the first two games of that series. Game 1 was a 1-0 decision that did not come until the ninth inning and Nederland lost Game 2 by a score of 2-1.
"It's still pretty fresh," Yeaman said. "We don't harp on the past but those are the sort of things that you remember. You never really forget about the series that knocked you out of the playoffs.
"I think we definitely still have that taste in our mouth and I know the kids are excited about the opportunity to get back at them. I think this is just an added motivation for our kids."
That opportunity starts today in Game 1 of a three-game series between the District 24-4A and District 22-4A champs. All three games will be at New Caney High School. Game 1 is set to start at 7 tonight, Game 2 will be at 7 p.m. Friday and, if necessary, Game 3 will be Saturday at noon.
To get to the third round this year, Foster received a first-round bye and then knocked off Crosby 1-0 on a suicide squeeze in the seventh inning last weekend to advance.
Nederland, who also received a first-round bye, played a three-game series with Brazosport last weekend. Brazosport beat Nederland in Game 1 but the Lady Dogs won back-to-back games Saturday to advance. Both games were decided by a score of 1-0.
"Hopefully we can use some of that momentum going into this series," Yeaman said. "We know they are a great team and this will be a really tough series for both teams."
Scoring runs will be the biggest task this weekend.
Neither Foster's Keely Shuler or Nederland's Caitlin Austin has an ERA over 1.00. In fact, Austin has an ERA of 0.48 while Shuler's ERA is 0.80.
Shuler has 105 strikeouts on the year with a record of 24-2 while Austin has a record of 16-5 with 240 strikeouts in 161 innings of work.
"They are a good team," Yeaman said. "They have a good pitcher who likes to throw a lot of junk and she is going to rely on her defense to make plays behind her. They are a good hitting team too."
Yeaman added she hopes her team will be patient at the plate and show good discipline.
"This series will come down to whichever team executes in those timely opportunities," Yeaman said. "It will come down to which team gets the hit with runners in scoring position. We know these games are going to be close."
Whenever the offenses make their respected presents in the series, it will likely come by way of Foster's Haley Sparke or Emily Bledsoe, or by Nederland's Ashleigh Kuhn, Jordan Bodin or Tayler Trojcak.
Sparke, the team's centerfielder and fourth batter, has six home runs on the year and was responsible for laying down the sacrifice bunt in Foster's win over Crosby.
Meanwhile, Kuhn leads the Lady Dogs with a .369 average and 27 RBIs. Trojcak has 25 RBIs and is hitting over .300, Bodin has a .326 average with 18 RBIs and freshman Layken Richard is hitting a .309.
"They play a lot like we do," Yeaman said. "I mean, they are going to do whatever it takes to win. They will lay down that bunt and they will bunt with any hitter. That's how we play. We're going to do whatever the situation calls for."
As a team, Foster is 26-2 overall while Nederland is 23-8-1.

Directions to New Caney High School:
• Take FM 365 to Hwy. 90 or get on Hwy. 90 at College St. in Beaumont
• Take Hwy. 90 through Liberty and Dayton, then get on FM 1960 in Dayton
• Stay on FM 1960 until you hit Hwy. 59 in Humble
• Take Hwy 59 North.
• Exit Community Drive
• Take Community Drive to the left and cross over Hwy 59.
• Stay on the feeder road until you come to Valley Ranch Subdivision.
• The school and baseball/softball complexes are inside the subdivision