Monday, May. 23, 2011

Apex done in second round

Cougars' season complete at 13-7

With the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the fourth inning, Apex seemed poised at least even the score or take the lead in their second-round softball playoff game at Wake Forest-Rolesville.

But Wake Forest-Rolesville sophomore pitcher Brittaney Dahle got Apex first baseman Brooke Perry to fly out to right field - not far enough to score Elizabeth Margagliotti from third - before striking out the next batter to end the threat.

It was the last true chance for Apex (13-7) as it fell 4-1 Thursday evening.

And just like that, Apex coach Bonnie Hodge had to say goodbye to eight seniors who not only led the team to a third-place conference finish this year, but played huge roles on last year's conference championship team.

"I have no complaints about our season," Apex coach Bonnie Hodge said. "These girls worked hard every game, every pitch. It just didn't work out tonight."

Wake Forest-Rolesville got on board in the bottom of the first with an RBI single by clean-up hitter Lauren Autry, a senior. In the next inning, the bottom of WF-R's order helped score a run as Jordan Hall drove in Delane Smith from third on a fielder's choice.

With an early 2-0 lead, the home team felt at ease - which was important since WF-R entered the game worried about making it to the third round of the playoffs for the first time since 2006.

Apex answered in the top of the third, as starting pitcher Ashley Winters ripped an RBI stand-up triple to score Perry.

Wake Forest-Rolesville tacked on a run in the bottom half of the fourth inning, as Allison Scarboro blasted a line drive off Winters' knee, dropping the Apex pitcher and allowing Autry to score easily from third. Winters recovered to finish out the inning.

She recorded one out and allowed one run in the sixth before being substituted for by Lindsay Hodge.

It was a far cry from the ending on Tuesday night, when Apex thrilled a drenched home crowd with a walk-off 5-4 win against Richmond County in the first round of the 4-A playoffs.

In that game, Apex trailed 4-3 after the first inning and the score remained the same in the bottom of the seventh, when dark rain clouds opened up into a steady downpour.

Shortstop Sam Slade's RBI sacrifice fly with nobody out and the bases loaded tied the game, setting up Margagliotti's RBI single that drove in teammate McKenzie Randall for the winning run.

"We all just came together and knew what we had to do," Margagliotti said.