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Softball: Timely Hits, Pitching Pushes Sunlake Past Wiregrass

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By EDDIE DANIELS | The Tampa Tribune

Published: March 17, 2009

LAND O’ LAKES - Sunlake softball coach Johnny Dawkins admitted Tuesday night, there's no need for him to walk to the mound to talk to his pitcher Meghan Durbin.

She may be a freshman, barely touching 5-feet, but she takes care of business.

Durbin pitched seven complete innings and earned her first shutout as a member of the Seahawks softball team with their 3-0 victory against visiting Wiregrass Ranch.

"She has got the heart of a lion," Dawkins said. "She's ferocious out there. She gives everything on every pitch. I don't say a whole lot to her because I know what she's thinking. She's so competitive, we don't have to say a whole lot to her. She's hard enough on herself."

Durbin showed that moxie in the first inning when she faced a bases loaded situation with just one out. She took care of the next two batters, striking each of them out.

Sunlake got its first run on the board in the fourth inning when single up the middle of the infield scored by Amanda Solar scored Karra Fischer from second base.

The Seahawks (12-4) built on that slim advantage two innings later. Alex Rogers singled to right field, allowing Sarah Jones to come home. A bad throw gave Solar the green light to score from third base.

For Wiregrass (7-8), the Bulls could not get their bats churning. According to coach Amy Lipovetsky, the team had to adjust to pitching. It's also a stark difference compared to the first meeting. Wiregrass won that contest, 8-2, in February.

"We just didn't hit the ball tonight," Lipovetsky said. "We've been facing really fast pitchers and they just didn't adjust. We've been facing 60 [miles per hour] and tonight she wasn't pitching 60."

SUNLAKE 3, WIRERASS RANCH 0
Wiregrass 000 000 0-0 7 2
Sunlake 000 102 x-3 10 0
Sorgenfrei and Raza; M. Durbin and Solar. W-M. Durbin (12-4). L- Sorgenfrei (6-5). 3B-C. Durbin (S). Records-W 7-8, S 12-4.

Reporter Eddie Daniels can be reached at (813) 948-4214.

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