Sebring Splits with Mulberry

SEBRING, April 12, 2008 – The Lady Blue Streaks varsity softball team split a doubleheader with the Mulberry Lady Panthers Friday night in Mulberry.

Stellar pitching and good fielding by the Lady Streaks combined with three critical sixth-inning power hits to earn a 2-1 win in the opener. The girls came up short in the nightcap, 4-1.

First basewoman Hannah Shoop powered the Lady Streaks to victory when she doubled in the sixth inning of the first game. That drove in pitcher Nikki Helms for the second score that would prove to be the winner. Helms was on third after she tripled to left field. Her hit had driven in catcher Wendy Negrin, who scored the first run after she had doubled to left.

The girls’ fielding became sloppy in the second game, and their bats, blessed with so much firepower, fell quiet.

The games with the west Polk County school served as a tuneup for Tuesday’s district playoff in Arcadia. They count in the overall standings but do not affect Sebring’s third seed in the District 10 matchups.

Officials now say the Lady Streaks will face Hardee – not DeSoto – in Tuesday’s 7:30 p.m. game. Braden River, the district leader, has a bye. Avon Park is slated to play Booker and DeSoto is to play Palmetto, but fans should not be surprised if the matchups change.

In years past, the sixth and seventh place teams in a seven-team district have played each other for elimination. The bottom four remaining teams play, and the two survivors of those games go on to play the first and second seeds.

This year, the bottom six teams will play to generate three winners. Braden River will join the three winners for the semifinals. The two winners play each other to determine the district champion and runnerup.

Until they are beaten in the playoffs, the Lady Blue Streaks remain the defending district champions.