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Central got its usual stellar pitching from Leonard as the junior mowed down 20 hitters, and found a way to push a pair of runs across in the eighth on two errors to improve to 6-0 overall, 2-0 in the league. Ledford fell to 6-3 (2-1), but showed signs of being a contender in the CCC.
“Our girls played awesome the whole game — they really battled,” said head coach Charlie Brown.
Leonard, and Ledford freshman pitcher Kristen Murphy went head-to-head in a furious pitching duel. Central had runners in scoring position in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings, only to see the Panther defense rise to the occasion.
Leonard was able to escape the seventh, and it appeared as though the Central top half of the order would not let another chance to plate a run slip by in the eighth.
The Spartans were immediately aided by a walk to leadoff Kara Lohr, who moved to second on a sharp grounder through the box by Leonard. Murphy desperately needed a grounder to set up a double-play, and she got it with catcher Gina Antonucci hitting a pitch to second. But second baseman Olivia Poplin could not handle the ball and the bases were suddenly loaded with no outs.
Nicole Perry was up next and laced a liner to left to score Lohr.
“A leadoff walk will kill you 80 percent of the time,” said Brown. “Then we had an error and it snowballed from there.”
Leonard also scored on the play with Kristin Clinard having trouble fielding the ball, and that was it. Central had more than enough runs with Leonard on the mound and the game was history.
Somebody forgot to tell the Lady Panthers that.
Olivia Klutz reached on a walk with one out and courtesy runner Courtney Pope went to second on a passed ball. Clinard went down swinging for the second out and Central was ready to celebrate. But leadoff hitter Emily Byrd slapped a single to left and went to second on a throw home, putting the tying run in scoring position with runners on second and third.
Nicole Hughes had a chance to make things interesting if she could find the green of the outfield, but Leonard brought the straight heat to preserve the shutout.
“We came back there with runners at second and third to try to tie the game up,” said Brown. “I was proud of the girls — they played really well.
You have got to get a run across and they know that. We were just trying to get a run there.”
Happy to just get a win, Central coach Gene Poindexter was not that impressed with his team’s effort.
“Tonight was a struggle to get the bat on the ball and get our rhythm down. It was a good ballgame.” “She [Leonard] wasn’t really sharp tonight, but she was making it move and doing what she normally does.”
Klutz and Emily Darr accounted for the other two Ledford hits. Murphy went the distance striking out four and giving up nine hits.
Ledford entertains West Davidson next Wednesday.