Cloverdale softball falls in sectional semis

Senior Beka Jordan makes a play in the outfield. (Banner Graphic/TRENT SCOTT)

Riding a 13-game winning streak into the sectional semi final, there was a belief among the Cloverdale softball team that a sectional final berth was within grasp as the Clovers squared off against Monrovia Wednesday night.

Errors in the field proved to be costly, however, as the Bulldogs gained three of their four runs off of Cloverdale mishaps en route to a 4-1 win.

It was the kind of night that seemed to defy season long trends according to Clover head coach Brian Knapp.

Kelsey Helterbrand makes a tag at third base. (Banner Graphic/TRENT SCOTT)

"I knew it was going to be a barnburner," Knapp said. "I think we were nervous tonight. It felt like we had more errors tonight than we've had all season and you just cannot play a good team with errors.

"Monrovia is a good team. They got the upper hand tonight. If we played them again tomorrow night, it might be a different outcome.

"When you have errors, it's over with early," Knapp added. "The girls fought back, just like they always do. The fourth or fifth inning is when they seem to come to life. We just didn't get the timely hit that we normally do.

"We had young players at key positions commit error that aren't normal. It's a part of the game and you have to fight out of that stuff."

Monrovia provided the game's first scoring threat in the second inning after Hannah Pierce and Brittney Sichting led off the inning with singles.

Pierce was caught trying to steal third before Cloverdale starter Lauren Meek struck out counterpart Erica Tharp and eventually got out of the inning on a groundout.

The third inning would not be so kind to the Clovers nor to shortstop Kelsey Helterbrand.

The freshman committed a pair of errors to start the inning, giving the Bulldogs runners on first and second with Pierce at the plate.

After missing a double by inches down the foul line, Pierce blasted a shot through Kimberly Winders at first base to score the opening run of the game.

A passed ball in the next at-bat allowed Monrovia to double its advantage at 2-0 before Meek struck out Sichting to end the inning.

The Bulldogs added a third run in the following inning. Meek hit Taylor Whitaker with one out and, after stealing second, the junior scored on a single by Hannah Jones to give the visiting side a 3-0 lead.

While Monrovia was amassing its lead, Tharp was breezing through the Cloverdale batting line-up, scattering two singles over four innings while striking out five.

In the fifth inning, though, the Clover bats finally started coming to life. Meek led off the inning with a double and scored on a Madison Smith single to cut the deficit to 3-1.

At that point, Tharp, who had been in control for much of the contest, was pulled in favor of Lindsey Keen for the rest of the game.

Lauren Patterson reached on a fielder's choice after confusion in the Bulldog defense to leave runners on first and second for Jessica Winders.

Winders slapped the ball to the shortstop, who, after missing the ball initially, dove forward and was cut off by pinch runner Skylar Price, resulting in the second out of the inning.

It was a key moment in the inning and in the game but Knapp noted that the play could have been avoided.

"We missed a sign there," Knapp said. "We didn't get a bunt down and got that runner out coming across the fielder.

"Everything happened very quickly right there and you have to move on from that. We came up the next time around with a chance to do it again and work out the mistakes."

Kelsey Helterbrand loaded the bases after reaching on an error but Kimberly Winders could not beat the infield, leaving the Clovers trailing by two.

Monrovia added an insurance run in the top of the seventh after Keen singled in Jordan Hedges, though it would not be needed as Cloverdale could only manage a single in the bottom of the inning before succumbing to the Bulldogs.

With Cloverdale's exit, the Putnam County champions end the season with a 17-9 record and though five members of the infield return, Knapp said the departing seniors leave several large gaps to fill.

"It's going to be hard to replace our seniors," Knapp said. "Lindsay (Robson) covers so much ground out in center field, as do Rebekah (Jordan) in left and Megan (Helterbrand) in right. Heather (Goss) controlled everything behind the plate.

"It's hard to replace them but there are groups of girls that move in. We'll have to replace the entire outfield and that's tough if the girls don't know how important playing outfield is.

"Those girls loved to play those positions. They loved chasing down and making plays in the outfield. We've got players we can move around but it's going to be tough without those four girls.

Even with the season ending short of the sectional final, Knapp said the squad had the potential to make the next step up in 2015.

"They ended up 17-9 and had an awesome season," Knapp said. "They've hit the ball so well and it's amazed me how well they've done that.

"We've had a freshman on the mound every game and we've played 26 games this season. She's got a lot to learn still but she's going to be tough. She's going to be tough on that mound for three more years.

"I look for them to be a really good team next year," Knapp added. "They're strong now and they can still look forward to moving up.

"Next year will be the last year of the WCC and it could be theirs to lose next year. I think Cloverdale is going to be the team to beat for the next few years. I really do."

At Cascade

WP -- Tharp

LP -- Meek

2B -- Meek