Published: May 10, 2008 12:19 am            

SOFTBALL: County clash goes to Comets

Dykes pitches Eastern past Kokomo.

After losing a couple one-run games this week, Eastern softball pitcher Tristan Dykes made sure a close game at Kokomo went the Comets’ way Friday night. Dykes was in command against the Kats, unleashing a 14-strikeout performance in a 1-0 victory.

For Class 2A No. 2-ranked Eastern, it was a relief to win a one-run game after dropping 2-1 decisions to Cass and Mississinewa during the week.

“Of course, the other two games we lost this week, we had the lead going into the late innings and weren’t able to keep it,” Eastern coach Jerry Haines said. “I think this was kind of the same situation. We had one run in both those games where all we had to do was hold the team and didn’t do it.

“Tristan, I think she remembered that,” Haines added with a laugh. “She decided she was going to bear down.”

It was Dykes’ third three-hitter in a row. The Eastern hurler went toe-to-toe with Kokomo’s Carly Painter, who gave up just two hits and fanned six batters. It took an unearned run in the top of the fourth to decide it and make Painter the hard-luck losing pitcher.

“It was a pitchers’ game as it always is between these two teams since I’ve been around,” said Kokomo coach Lisa Tate. “We had a pitchers’ umpire behind the plate — I’m not saying anything against him at all — and two good pitchers battling each other. The batters didn’t have much chance and so it comes down to we made a couple errors.”

Eastern improved to 17-5. Kokomo dropped to 13-5.

Eastern catcher Anna Maddox got the ball rolling in the fourth with a long fly ball to right field that was dropped for an error. Sarah Dykes entered as Maddox’s courtesy runner and took off for third base on a groundout by Regan Cole. Kokomo’s first baseman threw to third to try to catch Sarah Dykes, but the throw went high and the Comet runner scampered home.

Sensing another air-tight game, Haines, coaching third, was quick to wave Sarah Dykes around.

“I never even hesitated,” he said. “As soon as I saw the throw, I wasn’t even going to watch to see if they picked it up cleanly. We’ve left so many runners that we just had to hope that she could get in there and fortunately she did.”

At that point, Eastern hadn’t managed a hit. The next batter, Brookelyn Smith, singled and stole second but the Comets couldn’t bring her home against Painter, who gave up just two hits on the night.

“Carly did pitch a good game, and she was very pumped up for this game,” Tate said. “She wanted it really bad and it’s a shame we made a couple errors behind her. The kids that made errors, they’re quality kids that give 100 percent all the time, and it happens.”

After her sister Sarah cracked the scoreboard for Eastern, Tristan Dykes pitched seven straight outs before Kokomo threatened in the bottom of the sixth. Brittany Camp singled with one out and, after a strikeout, Elizabeth Wagner laced her second single. But Tristan Dykes ended the threat by inducing a fly out to right, then pitched a 1-2-3 seventh, fanning the last two batters.

“We really could not handle that — [Tristan Dykes] was picking those low corners on us and we just struggled with it,” Tate said.

Haines was glad his squad’s defense came through to keep Kokomo off the scoreboard. Eastern turned in an error-free performance.

“Dykes is strong enough, she’ll usually keep the other team shut down until something happens one way or the other, either we finally are able to generate some offense or our defensive gives up,” Haines said.

“To hold one-run leads and win one-run games, your defense has got to hold up. You can’t give things away.”

Eastern’s other hit was a double by Kyli Wise.

        

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