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Rams give Knights a scare in 1-0 loss

NEW PORT RICHEY -- Ridgewood, with its best pitcher playing the infield, gave Class 4A, District 8 rival River Ridge a much closer game the second time around.

Yet, even with Shauna Kortas and Krysti DiMartino splitting time on the mound Thursday in place of ace Breanne Hill, the outcome remained the same. The host Rams lost 1-0 to the district's top seed and Sunshine Athletic Conference champion.

"Moral victories are important," Ridgewood coach Greg Bollinger said. "Last time (on March 5), we got beat 6-0 and it was over early."

The game's lone run came in the top of the sixth when River Ridge's Stephanie Seaman drew a leadoff walk and scored on Christine Beck's triple to the right-centerfield gap.

The Royal Knights could have added to their lead, but Beck was picked off on a quick throw from catcher Melanie Boyer to shortstop Jayme Van Hook covering third base. Jill Hrvoski walked and Kelly Evers singled, but River Ridge stranded two baserunners for the third time when Kim Deeb popped out to shortstop to end the inning.

"We had enough baserunners to score more than one run and we didn't," River Ridge coach Ernie Beck said.

Beck went with his ace, his daughter Christine (12-1), who scattered three hits, and afterward wondered why Bollinger did not pitch Hill.

"Obviously, it didn't hurt him," Beck said. "When Bre pitched, we scored more than one run."

Bollinger revealed a couple of reasons for keeping Hill (12-2 with a county-leading 124 strikeouts) off the mound.

"She threw the last time and they hit her pretty good," Bollinger said. "I didn't want them to see her tonight and then again in a week and a half."

That is, of course, providing River Ridge (24-2, 12-0 in the district) and Ridgewood (15-9, 7-5) meet for a third time in the 4A-8 tournament that begins April 23 at River Ridge.

River Ridge, ranked fifth in Class 4A, appeared to have taken a 1-0 lead in the fifth, but Amy Cassell, who came home on Kortas' throwing error, was called out for missing third base on an appeal play.

Bollinger settled down his players by making several lineup changes, including replacing Kortas with DiMartino, before the appeal. Before delivering a pitch, DiMartino stepped off the mound and threw to Kortas, who took third when Hill moved from third to second, for the third out of the inning.

"I saw (Cassell) miss third," Bollinger said.

"I knew, for Krysti coming into that situation, it would be a big lift. You don't even have to throw a pitch and you get an out."

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