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Seffner Christian's Run Comes To End

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By GREGG BECNEL

Tribune correspondent

Published: April 30, 2008

SEFFNER - Seffner Christian's impressive postseason run came to an abrupt end Tuesday with an 11-1, five-inning loss against Canterbury in the Class 1A-Region 3 championship.

Seffner Christian, which was five games under .500 late in the regular season, had won five in a row before Tuesday. The Crusaders finished the season with a 9-10 record and advanced farther than any team in school history.

"We knew we needed to play a near-perfect game to have a chance to win, and we didn't come close," said Seffner Christian coach Greg Fawbush, who in February also guided the Crusaders girls basketball team to the region final. "I told the girls afterward that I didn't want this one game to diminish how well they've improved over the course of the season."

Canterbury (24-6) set the tone early when its first five batters reached base. Coupled with two Seffner Christian errors, the Crusaders found themselves in a 4-0 hole after half an inning.

Canterbury finished with 13 hits off seventh-grader Jenna Botto (5-8). Eighth-grader Jennifer Crosthwaite led the hit parade, going 3-for-3 with a double and a home run.

"We came out attacking the ball every inning," Canterbury coach Jody Moore said. "We didn't take anything for granted."

Nicci Hopps got Seffner Christian's only hit off freshman Krissy Longstreet (10-5), who finished with five strikeouts.

The Crusaders' starting lineup featured two sophomores, two seventh-graders and a freshman.

"Canterbury is a fundamentally sound team, and unfortunately our youth and inexperience showed," Fawbush said. "The girls realize they didn't play like they have shown in recent weeks, but I'm still proud of what they've accomplished."

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