The Press-Dispatch
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The Press-Dispatch Sports Wednesday, May 4, 2016 B- 5 Halbrader powers Lady Chargers past Southridge, 5-2 By Ed Cahill Press-Dispatch Sports Editor sports@pressdispatch.net Pike Central High School senior Samantha Halbrad- er saw her batting average drop 75 points after being held hitless in a total of six at-bats in a 10 -0 win at Wood Memorial on Saturday, April 23, and a 5 -2 loss at Boonville on Monday, April 25. So when Lady Chargers head coach Rick Weisman filled out the lineup card before Pike Central hosted Southridge on Thursday, April 28, he dropped Saman- tha Halbrader from third in the batting order to seventh as the team's designated player – hitting for sopho- more pitcher Peyton Sorgi- us – instead of putting her in the field. Samantha Halbrader, who had batted third the previous seven games after hitting fourth in Pike Central's first four contests, responded in a big way, going 3-for-3 with a pair of doubles while driving in three runs – matching her RBI total in the team's first 11 games – and scoring an- other as the Lady Chargers defeated Southridge 5 -2. "We took Sam out and she DPed for Sorgius, just to kind of give her a little time away from the main action and just concentrate on hitting," said Weisman, whose team improved to 7-5 overall and 2-1 in the Pocket Athletic Conference. "It kind of worked for that purpose." A fter the Lady Chargers were retired in order by La- dy Raiders pitcher Kassidy Mundy in the first inning, Pike Central sophomore first baseman Demi Croak led off the second with a double and – one out later – advanced to third base when an error by Southridge third baseman Bre Wilkey allowed sopho- more third baseman Audra Stone to reach first. Stone then stole second base, putting two runners in scoring position for Saman- tha Halbrader, who blasted a double to deep left field, driv- ing in both Croak and Stone to give the Lady Chargers a 2-0 lead. A fter sophomore right fielder Alexis Halbrad- er drew a walk, an infield grounder by freshman sec- ond baseman Alex Traylor advanced both runners. However, Mundy retired Pike Central junior catch- er Madison Scott on a line drive to shortstop Boo Pol- ley to end the inning. A fter sophomore center- fielder Shelbi Pipes led off the third inning with a dou- ble, Pipes advanced to third on a grounder by junior left fielder Sydney Brooks and scored on a grounder by Croak, extending the Lady Chargers' lead to 3-0. Pike Central would add a two-out run as senior short- stop Alyx Abbott singled, stole second base, advanced to third on an infield hit by Stone and scored on a hit up the middle by Samantha Halbrader – giving the Lady Chargers a 4-0 lead – before Southridge centerfielder Misty Merter made a diving catch of a ball hit by Alexis Halbrader to end the inning. The Lady Raiders, after being held to just two hits in three innings by Sorgius, scored a two-out run of their own in the fourth inning. Southridge catcher Kend- yl McKeough led off with a single, but was forced out at second on a fielder's choice grounder by Mundy. Lady Raider first baseman Amanda Brewer then hit in- to a force-out at second – re- tiring Meg Buechler, serv- ing as a courtesy runner for Mundy – and advanced to second on a single by right fielder Peyton Nalley. Rachel Trent, pinch hit- ting for Merter, followed with a single to center field, scoring Brewer to cut Pike Central's lead to 4-1 – as Nal- ley advanced to third. Re-entering the game to run for Trent, Merter subse- quently took off for second base while Nalley attempt- ed to steal home on Scott's throw. However, Abbott's return throw to Scott cut down Nal- ley at the plate, ending the inning. The Lady Chargers threat- ened to add to their lead in the bottom of the fourth in- ning when Scott tripled with one out. Scott would attempt to score when the next batter, Pipes, hit a sharp ground- er at Brewer. Brewer threw the ball home to McKeough, who tagged Scott out before she could reach the plate. "It happened pretty quick," Weisman said. "I thought, well, if it's on her glove side, that's fine, but if she's got to go opposite – go across her body – we have a chance. It was just one of those bang-bang plays and it didn't work out for us. I can take the fault for that one." In the top of the sixth in- ning, Brewer reached on a fielder's choice, stole second base and advanced to third when a pop-up on the infield by Nalley landed untouched. Sorgius struck out Trent for the second out of the in- ning before a single by La- dy Raider left fielder Mallory Peter scored Brewer to pull Southridge to within 4-2. However, with runners on the corners, Sorgius got Southridge second base- man Macie Marley to hit a grounder to Stone, who threw Marley out at first to end the inning. Pike Central would get the run back in the bottom of the inning when Samantha Hal- brader led off with a double, advanced to third on a sacri- fice by Alexis Halbrader and scored on a two-out single by Scott. In the top of the seventh, after Polley drew a one- out walk, McKeough hit a fly ball to deep center field that Pipes reached out and caught just before slamming into the fence for the second out of the inning. "I think she was about a step-and-a-half, two at the most, away from the fence when she caught it," Weis- man said. "If Shelbi doesn't get that ball, that puts prob- ably a run in and a runner on second or third. Then if you get a little hit ... they're right in the game with us." Instead, with Polley still at first base, Sorgius retired Mundy on a comebacker to end the game. For the game, Sorgius allowed two runs – one of which was earned – on eight hits, walked one and struck out four while improving to 2-2. The game marked the first varsity starts of the season by Alexis Halbrader – in right field – and Traylor – at second base – while Weis- man moved Pipes to second in the batting order from ninth, where she had hit in the Lady Chargers' first 11 games. "We're just trying some different things," Weisman said. "We're about halfway through our schedule and we're looking at teams that are going to be in our sec- tional that we're gong to have to compete with. We've just got to find a nucleus that's going to click." "The coaches and I all got together and we thought, well, we need to try some- thing to see if there's some pieces of the puzzle that we're just not fitting togeth- er," Weisman added. "That's kind of where we're at right now." Dutchman's breeches and PBJ sandwiches It's a mid-spring day and the sky is shining bright through a jet blue sky. We've decided to head to the woods today to look at wildflowers and maybe find a mushroom or two. The woods are dry and the children, their moth- er and I make a crunchy chorus of sound as we walk over last year's leaves that are strewn, dried and brown, across the forest floor. The oldest two chil- dren range out in front while the youngest, being only 2, holds her mother's hand and struggles to lift her tiny boot high enough to get over even the small- est branch. As we walk, I study the forest floor and note nu- merous woodland plant species that sprinkle the brown leaf litter with hues of purple, deep green, yel- low and white. I see all of the common plants I expect to see, including cut-leaved toothwort, spring beauty, blood root, trout lily, wild ginger, trilliums, Solomon seal, phlox, rue anemone, may flower, spring cress, violets, celandine poppy, squirrel corn and Dutch- man's breeches. I stop to examine the latter two, which are growing side by side. Squirrel corn and Dutch- man's breeches are very similar in appearance. Both have delicate leaves and white flowers. But if ex- amined closely, one can see that the tips of the squirrel corn flower point inward while the tips of Dutch- man's breeches flowers point outward, similar to a pair of pants – or "breech- es" – hanging on a clothes line. Hence the name. Another way to differen- tiate the two is by examin- ing their roots. Dutchman's roots resemble a small clus- ter of tear-drop-sized tu- bers, often a pearly pink color. They remind me of a cluster of pink Nerd can- dies. The roots of squirrel corn, on the other hand, resemble a cluster of small kernels of corn. Hence their name. They are yel- low in color but pale, sim- ilar to the pearly nature of Dutchman's roots. As we continue through the woods, I also notice some less common plants, including Greek Valerian and bishop's cap. Greek Valerian, with its segment- ed leaves and deep purple flowers, and bishop's cap, with its small white flow- ers that resemble a snow- flake, are both found in what Newcomb's Wild- flower Guide terms "rich woods." To gauge the "richness" of the woods, I stoop down and grab a handful of soil, the source from which all richness comes. It looks like coffee grounds sprin- kled with granulated sug- ar. The sparkling sugar specks must come from quartzite found in sand. It is light and fluffy and when I work it through my fin- gers, it quickly migrates beneath my fingernails. The woodland plants we examine this day have a very short growing win- dow. They must leaf and flower in the brief peri- od of time when soil tem- peratures are warmed by spring sunshine but forest trees have not yet leafed out, which allows life-giv- ing sunlight to reach the forest floor. But one must wonder at the way they fill the woods with abundant color and life, albeit for on- ly a short few weeks out of the year. We continue walking and looking before we stop for lunch beside a small stream which trickles lazily but determinedly through a steep wildflower covered ravine. Off come the day packs and out comes the PBJ sandwiches, animal crackers, chips and can- dy all kids yearn for. Soon, the chip bag is empty and all that remains of the PBJ sandwiches are nibbled pieces of bread crust. We sit with our backs leaned against the sides of the ravine and relax, watch- ing the small white butter- flies that flutter over the tops of the tall mayflowers, softly rustling in the light spring breeze. PATOKA VALLEY OUTDOORS By Sam Whiteleather Pike Central High School sophomore third baseman Audra Stone (right) steals second base as Southridge shortstop Boo Polley (left) awaits the throw – which struck Stone in the back – dur- ing game action on Thursday, April 28. Ed Cahill photo Pike Central High School fresh- man second baseman Alex Tray- lor (left) prepares to throw the ball to first base after getting the force- out on Southridge catcher Kend- yl McKeough (31) during game ac- tion on Thursday, April 28. Ed Ca- hill photo Above: Pike Cen- tral High School junior catcher Madison Scott (left) slides safely into third base on a fourth- inning triple as South- ridge third baseman Bre Wilkey (3) catches the ball during game ac- tion on Thursday, April 28. Ed Cahill photo Right: Pike Cen- tral High School senior shortstop Alyx Abbott (left) gets set to make the tag on Southridge centerfielder Misty Merter (right) on a steal attempt during game ac- tion on Thursday, April 28. Ed Cahill photo Pike Central High School junior catcher Madison Scott (left) falls backwards after tagging out South- ridge right fielder Peyton Nalley (17) at the plate during game action on Thursday, April 28. Ed Cahill photo With competitive rates and personal service, it's no wonder more drivers trust State Farm ® . Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. ® CALL FOR A QUOTE 24/7. 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