Class 2A Region II quarterfinal
S&S Consolidated 1-5, Ponder 0-0

Ashley Anderson showed perhaps her best performance of the season, but lost — twice.

Anderson pitched two complete games for Ponder, but the Lady Lions lost both, 1-0 and 5-0, against S&S Consolidated on Friday in a Class 2A Region II quarterfinal series at Pioneer Field.

Ponder was eliminated in the regional quarterfinals for the second straight season.

Anderson dueled S&S starter Angela White in both games. White tossed a no-hitter in Game 1 and combined to strikeout 31 batters in the two games. Anderson, meanwhile, allowed one earned run in each game and had 10 strikeouts in Game 2.

As Game 2 wore on, Anderson appeared fatigued and bothered by a back injury. By the late innings, Anderson appeared gassed as she crouched over between batters with her hands on her back.

“She has had an injury all year long,” said Ponder head coach Paige Wells. “It’s something we can help or make worse — it’s just always going to be there. If we go one game, we are much better off than if we go two.”

Wells prefers a one-game playoff instead of a best-of-three series because of the injury Anderson deals with. The decision comes down to a coin toss. Ponder advanced past the first two rounds by winning one-game playoffs. 

“I was proud of my girls and the way they played,” Wells said. “Sometimes it’s all about a coin toss and sometimes it’s not.”

Anderson persevered through the injury and continued to strike out batters up to her 12th inning of work.

“I am more proud of her tonight than I ever have been because of the way she stuck it out and finished 14 innings and never gave up,” Wells said.  “You can’t really tell injuries and how they’re going to affect you, and tonight they affected her. She just had to bear down harder than usually.”

Game 2 started with Anderson pitching out of a two-out jam after S&S catcher Nikki Jones roped a double down the left field line. Anderson fanned Kaci Bush on three pitches to end the inning.

The Ponder hitters finally got to White in the second inning as Anderson hit an infield single that ricocheted off the pitcher’s glove for Ponder’s first base hit of the series. Anderson moved to second base on a sacrifice bunt by Courtney Antle, and then to third on a wild pitch, setting up a prime scoring opportunity.

Ponder, however, came up empty as White pitched out of the jam, striking out a pair batters to end the threat. 

Ponder again threatened to score in the fourth inning as Alyssa Bassler led off with a softly hit blooper that landed between the pitching circle and second base. Bassler moved to second on a sacrifice bunt.

Kristen Kimmel, Ponder’s leading hitter in the playoffs with an average of .429, came up with two outs, but she drilled a line drive straight to the second baseman, stranding a runner in scoring position.

S&S broke open the scoreless tie in the fourth inning, after Jones walked and Kaci Bush hit into a fielder’s choice, but shortstop Kelley Woods overthrew second base and the ball sailed in to right field, allowing Jones to score and sending Bush to third. Anderson struck out the final two batters of the inning to keep it a one-run deficit.

For the third straight inning, Ponder’s leadoff hitter reached base on an infield single when Anderson led off the fourth with a bunt single.

After White struck out two batters, Aubrey Antle singled, and base runners moved to second and third on a passed ball with two outs. But White again pitched out of the threat and struck out Brooke Sanders to end the inning.

S&S tacked on four runs in the fifth that started with an RBI single by Kayli Croney that scored Madison Buckner. Bailey Key followed with a bases-loaded single, and White drew a walk for another run. S&S scored its fourth run of the inning on a wild pitch.

In Game 1, S&S scored the only run of the game in the third. Rami Burleson led off the inning with a double down the right field line that landed just inside fair territory. She moved to third on a passed ball.

Haley Colwell followed with a line drive off the glove of Ponder third baseman Aubrey Antle, whose throw home sailed over the head of Kimmel, allowing Burleson to score.

BRAD McDONNELL can be reached at 940-566-6869. His e-mail address is bmcdonnell@dentonrc.com.

Baseball

Canyon 11, Argyle 1

SNYDER — Argyle lost 11-1 to Canyon in Game 1 of its best-of-three series Friday in the Class 3A Region I area round.

Argyle starter Scotty Stewart went four innings, allowing nine runs. The game was shortened to five innings by the mercy rule.

“We didn’t throw very many strikes, and when we did, they weren’t quality pitches,” Argyle head coach Ricky Griffin said. “Their [Canyon’s] pitcher did a good job of keeping us down.”