Eye of the Tigers

Published 9:59 pm Monday, April 6, 2009

Christy Shankle allowed one run on two hits in the bottom of the first inning, but allowed only three base runners the rest of the game in a 2-1 Eufaula victory over Charles Henderson’s Lady Trojans Monday night at the Troy Sportsplex.

“We played a great game, but they just got a big hit to beat us,” CHHS head coach Steve Haug said. “We didn’t make many mistakes, but we just didn’t get the hits.”

Shankle struck out 11 Lady Trojans in five innings of work and India Kornegay struck out all nine batters she faced in three innings of work to pick up the win on the mound.

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Lady Trojan Melissa Kennedy held her own on the mound for Charles Henderson. She allowed two runs on nine hits while striking out nine and walking none.

“Melissa pitched fantastic and she was just on,” Haug said. “Even when she got behind she worked her way out of it.”

The Lady Trojans (3-16, 0-2 AHSAA Class 5A, Area 3) broke the goose egg when Taylor Smartt and Becca Hartley had back-to-back doubles with two outs in the bottom of the first inning.

Smartt scored the only run for the Lady Trojans in her first game back from off-season knee surgery.

CHHS was not able to get another hit in the ball game.

Eufaula tied the score in the top of the third and scattered seven hits throughout the game until Kornegay ripped a ball off Smartt’s glove to score the go-ahead run and Kornegay struck out the side to end the game.

Haug said the game may not have ended up in the win column, but he was proud with how his team played.

“They have been talking about us in the papers and to other people that we are no good and they are going to stomp us and not pitch their best pitcher, but they brought her in at the end,” Haug said. “I am proud of how our kids played hard because they never quit and they did not lay down. That was big.”

The Lady Trojans hit the road for Elba today with a game set for 4:30 p.m. CHHS hosts Ashford Thursday beginning at 4:30 p.m. before competing in the Enterprise Tournament this weekend.

Click here for a photo gallery of Monday’s action