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Plant upsets top-rated Chiefs

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By NICK WILLIAMS | The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 3, 2009

TAMPA - Before her team's Class 5A region semifinal game against top-ranked Chamberlain on Saturday, Plant softball coach Melissa Sigmon gathered her players for a pregame speech, perhaps her last of the season.

"I told them, 'It doesn't matter what you've done this season up to this point. It doesn't matter what you did against this team,'" she said.

Before Saturday's game, Chamberlain had defeated Plant three times this season, twice during the regular season and again in the 5A-District 10 championship.

With the odds against it, however, Plant eliminated nationally ranked Chamberlain, 4-0, in 10 innings to advance to Tuesday's region championship against Venice.

Plant (22-6) eliminated Chamberlain (26-3) in the semis last year.

In the top of the 10th, junior Erika Arcuri, who was 2-for-4, hit a bases-loaded two-run double into left field and freshman Kaitlyn Steckel scored from third on an error to make it 3-0. Junior Sarah Bowling brought Arcuri home from third on a single for a 4-0 lead.

"My mind-set was that Kayla Suskauer was pitching a great game and she needed some hits to back her," Arcuri said. "I was thinking base hit."

Suskauer (13-6) allowed three hits and struck out 10. She said it was her best performance against Chamberlain, the top-ranked team in 5A and No. 16 in the ESPN Fab 50 national poll.

"It was really hot, but I just tried to keep on doing what I had been doing," Suskauer said. "I know how strong they are. It was tough losing to them three times during the season, but we had the desire to win.

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