Chesterfield beats Gators in seventh

By Justin Driggers

Published: May 12, 2008

CHESTERFIELD — Lake View softball coach Chad Huggins said it best:
“(Big errors) seem to have a way of evening out during a ballgame, especially a state championship.”
After taking a two-run lead on a sixth-inning throwing error, the Wild Gators committed one in the bottom of the seventh that opened the door for a 3-2 come-from-behind win by Chesterfield in game one of the Class A state championship series.
Lake View (25-2) will try to even the series on Wednesday at home at 6 p.m.
“Biggest difference in the game is we just didn’t hit the ball,” Huggins said. “Give them credit — they put together a couple of hits when they needed to.
“We just didn’t have enough offense tonight.”
Lake View had just four hits, none for extra bases and never more than one in any inning.
Chesterfield starter Kerri Jackson went the distance. She walked none and struck out eight.
“She hit her spots and pitched inside and outside and really kept us off balance,” Huggins said. “We were never able to adjust during the game.”
Jackson and Lake View starter Leigh Ann Shelley each cruised through the first five innings, allowing a combined five hits.
In the Lake View sixth, though, things rapidly changed.
Taylor Sanderson led off the frame with a single. Chesterfield third baseman Hailey Gibson then fielded an Anna Sanderson grounder and threw the ball to the fence trying to retire Taylor Sanderson at second.
That allowed the Sandersons to score for a 2-0 Lake View lead.
“We tell them to go to first on that play because things like that can happen,” Chesterfield coach Freddy Gaskins said. “She made a mistake, but made up for it later.”
The Rams got a run back in the bottom of the inning. Christian Stokes tripled with one out and April Robson singled two batters later to pull the Rams within 2-1.
After another Ram single, Lake View third baseman Chessie Miller saved at least one run by coming up with a line drive at the third-base line.
In the bottom of the seventh, Shelley got the first out and appeared to get the second when Gibson grounded to third. But Miller’s throw was low and skipped into the dugout, advancing the runner to second.
Shelley struck out the pinch-hitter, but Rams leadoff batter Emily Smith roped a triple down the third-base line for a 2-2 tie.
A pitch later, Stokes ended the game by driving in Smith with another hard hit down the line that Miller was unable to come up with.
“I was just looking for a pitch to drive,” Stokes said. “I remember last year in the playoffs, I popped out with a runner on third that ended our season. I told myself I wasn’t going to be the last out again.
“I’m so glad I was able to not let that happen again.”
Stokes was 2-for-4 with an RBI to lead the Rams.
Sarah Arnette, Avonlea Cooke, Taylor Sanderson and Amber Suggs each had a hit for the Wild Gators.