TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Sickles Tops Rival Gaither For Top Seed

ADVERTISEMENT

By NICK WILLIAMS | The Tampa Tribune

Published: March 24, 2009

TAMPA - Some games just bring out the best in athletes.

In one of Hillsborough County's biggest rivalry matchups, the Sickles softball team topped Gaither, 6-1, on Tuesday night to secure the top seed in the Class 6A District 7 district tournament.

The Gryphons scored off 11 hits, a feat that even seemed to surprise first-year coach Phil Giarrizzo.

"We were pounding the ball tonight," he said.

Sickles players were so anxious to play their rival, Giarrizzo said they couldn't warm up.

"They didn't take the infield," he said. "They were too pumped up."

Sickles (13-3, 8-2) scored five runs on five hits in the fifth inning to take a 5-0 lead. Junior pitcher Chelsea Oglevie allowed one run off four hits with one walk to pick up the win. Oglevie's chances of a shutout victory ended when the Cowboys (10-5, 7-3) scored on a RBI single in the bottom of the seventh inning.

"We wanted this more than any other game," Oglevie said.

Juniors Ashli and Courtney Goff, Nichayla Hall and Frances Franceschi each had two hits for Sickles while first baseman Alyssa Hobday hit a two-run single to cap the 5-0 run.

"(Defeating) Countryside was good but this one was the biggest one," Giarrizzo said.

Senior shortstop Courtney Owens had two hits, including a double, and scored Gaither's lone run.

"The better team won tonight," Gaither coach Laura Wolf said.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT