All-Star split : Fayetteville’s Keller named West’s top player in softball twinbill
Posted on Thursday, June 19, 2008
Fayetteville's Morgan Keller doesn't like the idea of sliding in the dirt to beat out a throw on the softball diamond.
And it showed Wednesday afternoon in Game 1 of the All-Star softball doubleheader at Lady'Back Yard.
The first pitch in her first atbat produced an RBI single in the fifth inning. And her second plate appearance trumped her teammates' performances as she hit a two-run triple on two strikes in the top of the seventh.
The West All-Stars went on to shut out the East, 8-0. The win marked the first for the West since 2006 as Keller led her squad with 3 RBIs on a 2-of-2 performance at the plate.
The Fayetteville senior was named the West All-Stars' most outstanding player.
"Morgan is one of those that is not real vocal, but she gets the job done on offense and defense," West head coach Wiley Cunningham said.
On Keller's triple that plated Cassie Martin and Sheyanne Muse for the last runs of the first game, she sped around second base and was never in danger of being tagged out as the ball rolled nearly 200 feet in right field.
El Dorado's Cassie Martin, who won the All-Star doubleheader's MVP award, also hit a triple, plating the West's fourth run of the night in the fifth frame. Keller later plated Martin with a middle-ofthe-field single to extend the lead to 5-0 before the Lady Bulldog's seventh-inning barrage.
"Normally that's a bunt situation, but we knew we had hitters and we had to turn them loose," Cunningham said.
"I haven't hit a lot of triples this year, so [my ] speed helped me out a lot," Keller said. "I'm pretty OK with not sliding."
Cunningham, who led Ashdown to a Class 4 A state championship over Highland last month at Lady'Back Yard, is pretty familiar with Keller. Ashdown has played Fayetteville in the Farmington-Fayetteville Invitational in recent years.
"You've got vocal leaders and all that, but you really appreciate the blue-collar girls like her," Cunningham said. "They work and get it done. That's what she does."
West pitchers Kayleigh Cody and Jamie Fleming combined to pitch a onehitter as the East battery struggled and allowed 8 hits. Cody of Foreman struck out four batters and Cunningham's Ashdown ace, Fleming, struck out six in four innings of work as 10 East batters fell in strikeouts. The East also committed four errors in the first game, which led to several plate advancements.
"With this whole atmosphere, it's easy to get distracted," Cunningham said. "They've enjoyed the festivities, but once we got to the ballpark, they did what they're here for. They work just like they want to and they practiced the way they played tonight. " Cody, Fleming (4 ) and Powers, Martin (4 ); McCampbell, Butterfield (4 ), Crain (6 ) and Grinnell, Bates (4 ). W - Cody. L - McCampbell. 3 B - West, Martin, Keller. East 1 West 0 (Game 2 )
The West left the bases loaded twice and the East took advantage of its loaded bases in the top of the seventh, as the East won, 1-0, in the doubleheader nightcap.
Kacey Roberts of Woodlawn scored from third base on an unearned run on a sacrifice attempt. What resulted was a confusing chain of events by the West infield. A play at third base notched a third out and wiped out a second run that crossed the plate as the tag happened.
East All-Stars pitching notched a no-hitter into the sixth inning before the West All-Stars compiled two hits, a fielder's choice and base on balls in the bottom of the sixth. Elkins' Amber Caywood, however, struck out for the third out to leave the bases loaded for the second time.
The East handed out seven base on balls but also struck out six batters as April McCampbell of White Hall High School picked up the win in just 2 / 3 of an inning of work. The West All-Stars left 10 runners on base.
Van Buren's Kelsey Williams and Caywood worked the pitcher's circle for six strikeouts in the West loss.
Brown, Watkins (4 ), McCampbell (6 ), Brown (7 ) and Grinnell, Bates (4 ), Grinnell (6 ); Williams, Caywood (4 ) and Martin, Powers (4 ). W - McCampbell. L - Caywood. Sv. - Brown. 2 B - East, Butterfield.
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