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Durant Loses In 10 Innings To Palm Beach Gardens 5-4

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By NICK WILLIAMS

The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 10, 2008

PLANT CITY - Exhausted, dejected and emotionally drained, the Durant softball team walked off the Plant City Stadium field knowing it was so close to playing for a state championship.

It took 31/2 hours to decide the outcome, but Palm Beach Gardens scored four runs in the top of the 10th inning to eliminate Durant, 5-4, in the Class 6A state semifinals on Friday.

Palm Beach Gardens advances to face Miami Palmetto, which defeated Mandarin 5-4 in the other semifinal, in the state championship game at 4 p.m. today.

Durant didn't go quietly. In the bottom of the 10th, Durant loaded the bases off an error and two walks and sophomore Brittany Harwell blasted a single through the shortstop's hands to clear the bases and cut the deficit, 5-4, with no outs. Two outs later, Durant had a runner on third, but Gators senior pitcher Brittany Bowles sealed the game with a strikeout.

"I just thought we were going to come back," said Durant senior pitcher Sara DeMuth, who finished with 11 strikeouts and seven hits allowed.

In the top of the 10th, Palm Beach Gardens' Kaylie Wallace reached second base on an error and advanced to third on a passed ball. On a bunt from Brittany Ewing, Wallace beat the throw to home to score to take the lead. Palm Beach then scored off a sacrifice bunt, an outfield error and a RBI single.

"The kids fought hard and they played hard," Durant coach Matt Carter said. "I'm very proud of them. They played one of the most exciting games anybody will see this week."

Both teams battled in extra innings. The Cougars (25-6) had the bases loaded with two outs in the eighth inning, but Bowles, who has committed to Georgia, forced a ground out to third. In the top of the ninth, the Gators (28-4) had a runner on third with two outs when DeMuth struck out Melinda Villegas to end the inning.

Durant scored in the first inning when pinch runner Brielle Gordon scored on a bases-loaded walk. Palm Beach Gardens tied the game when Kelsey Hensel singled home Brittany Human in the fourth inning.

"It just stinks, but I wouldn't trade this for anything," DeMuth said.

MIAMI PALMETTO 5, JACKSONVILLE MANDARIN 4: Palmetto scored three runs in the top of the seventh inning to rally past Mandarin in the other Class 6A state semifinal.

The Panthers (25-3), who extended their winning streak to 14, advanced to today's title game, where they will be looking to win their third state title (2000, 2003).

Trailing by two going into the seventh, Palmetto got within 4-3 before Auburn signee Lauren Guzman's two-out, two-run double provided the winning margin.

Gregg Becnel

Keyword: Prep Sports, for expanded coverage of the state softball tournament, including Friday's Class 4A state semifinals.

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