Basil Spyridakos, Times Correspondent
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
SEMINOLE — Countryside has been on a tear since slumping to a four-game losing streak in the beginning of March. A solid Jupiter Tournament campaign and win over Pinellas Park last week has given the Cougars confidence.
Countryside scored at least two runs in every inning and overwhelmed Seminole 12-1 in five innings Tuesday night.
Ayanna Andrews started the game with a big triple to leftfield and Hailee Keisling drove her in with an RBI single. Keisling stole second and Kristin Hubbard drove her in on an RBI single to put the Cougars up 2-0 early.
"We have had some games like this, but we've kind of been rocky lately," said Keisling, who went 3-for-4 with three RBIs. "Everyone just stepped up and started to hit the ball."
The Cougars scored four times in the second and twice more in the third.
Alyssa Queen was efficient with her pitch selection, allowing only three hits, two walks and an unearned run.
Seminole (9-5) struggled to get a consistent hit on Queen's pitches. She faced three Warhawk batters during the third inning and was able to get two to pop out and force a groundout to short with only five pitches.
"It's an accident," said Queen, who improved her record to 3-1. "Sometimes my drop ball goes up instead of down, so it gets the batter to pop it up."
Countryside (12-5) continued to pour it on in the fourth inning, scoring three more runs. Up 10-1 with two out, Queen ripped an RBI single driving Alyssa Householder in from second. The Cougars would cross the plate once more in the fifth.
"I honestly didn't expect it to be like this," Countryside coach Kaylyn Bayly said. "We've been without our No.1 pitcher since the East Lake game, and two other freshmen have been trying to get us through it and (Queen) did a great job."
