Lake View falls in bid for repeat

FLORENCE — In a series as evenly matched as the one between Chesterfield and Lake View’s softball teams, sometimes it comes down to the little things.
For Chesterfield, a little soft dribbler to the right side of the infield wound up being the Rams’ biggest play all season.
In a game that went to international tiebreaker rules (each team starts the inning with a runner on second), Emily Smith’s one-out grounder to the first baseman was just slow enough to score Lacy Rhynes from third in the bottom of the ninth inning to give Chesterfield a 3-2 win and the Class A state championship.
“I was just trying to get something down on the right side (of the infield),” Smith said of her game-winning dribbler. “I was really nervous, and couldn’t really say what pitch it was, but I managed to get it down the line and we scored.
“It was very emotional, especially after losing the last game when we were one out away (from a state championship). We’ve always supported each other, and have been able to bounce back a lot this year.”
It is the first state championship for the Rams in softball, and first ever for a girls program.
“We had three tremendous games, and we really feel like we earned this,” Chesterfield coach Freddy Gaskins said. “But (the girls) did a great job and never let anything get them down. They never quit, and I’m proud of them for that.”
Chesterfield capitalized on its tiebreaker opportunity after Lake View was unable in the top of the ninth.
Sarah Arnette reached third on a wild pitch. With one out, Kasey Nobles stepped to the plate and laid down a bunt down the first-base line.
A little too sharp, as it would turn out.
Nobles was forced out at first base, and Arnette took off for home, but not until after having to wait for the throw to first. Christian Stokes’ throw nailed Arnette at the plate, ending the inning.
“That one, you can put on me,” Lake View coach Chad Huggins said. “The girls did exactly what I asked of them, and they executed it well, but the ball probably came off the bat a little too sharply.
“I was just trying to get the run in, and I knew with one out it was going to take a pretty good hit out of the infield to do it. But sometimes you can do nothing and look like a genius, other times you try something and it doesn’t work out.”
The Gators had trouble getting the ball out of the infield after the first inning.
The Wild Gators came out swinging and quickly took a 2-0 lead off Rams starter Kerri Jackson thanks to a leadoff double by Anna Sanderson, an RBI fielder’s choice by Chessie Miller and an RBI single from Leigh Ann Shelley.
But those three hits were all for the Gators as Jackson settled down and retired 22 of the next 25 batters. The only other runners for Lake View came on two errors and a walk.
“(Jackson) settled down pretty well after that first inning,” Gaskins said. “We changed some things after that last game and she started to pitch inside and move the ball around a little more.
“I’m glad I’ve got her for two more years.”
Lake View starter Amber Suggs was even more dominant. Suggs retired the first nine batters she faced, wound up with 11 strikeouts and allowed just three hits, one a two-run homer by April Robson in the bottom of the fourth to tie the game at 2.