Published: May 04, 2008 01:45 pm            

Lady Owls take down Denton Ryan in 3 games

KELLER — Errors ensured that Joshua’s arrival in the regional quarterfinals of the playoffs came three hours later than it hoped for.

But as day turned into night, the sun set on Denton Ryan’s season with a 4-1 Lady Owl victory in the third game of an area-round series.

Joshua advances to meet Denton Guyer, which swept Fort Worth Southwest in two games by 6-2 and 8-2 margins.

Denton Ryan tied the series in the afternoon, erasing a 6-5 deficit in the top of the seventh to pull away from the Lady Owls 8-6.

Joshua head coach Traci Brooks was clearly disappointed that the team that easily handled the Lady Raiders 7-0 in Game 1 on Friday night did not show up for Game 2, but still believed that her team would ultimately prevail.

“We just didn’t play well [in Game 2],” Brooks said. “We had about six errors that kept them in scoring position and kept them in the game.

“Pretty much what I did, I said ‘Go do what you need to do, and then come back with your head right. If you have to get a hug from your momma or whatever you got to do to get ready, you come back ready to play ball.’”

Candice Gauntt led off Game 3 with a single, then stole two bases before shortstop Bailey Sanders’ double drove in Gauntt.

Joshua made it 2-0 in the top of the third, when pitcher Kayci Wilson’s double drove home third baseman Jordan Palmer, who also doubled.

Ryan got the run back in its half of the third when first baseman Micah Foutch singled home Misty Dooley.

After stranding five runners in the first three innings of the game, Lady Raiders only reached base three times in the final four innings.

Joshua added two insurance runs late in the game.

Sanders hit her second double of the game in the sixth inning, followed by a single from Wilson and another single from centerfielder Ashley Clifton which brought home Sanders to put Joshua ahead 3-1.

In the seventh inning, Palmer’s single to left field brought home second baseman Taylor Dear to round out the scoring.

        

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