Austin and Taylor Crawley combined to retire the first 18 batters of the game until the former surrendered back-to-back hits in the seventh. No damage was done though as the Lady Storm (18-7) defeated the Lady Tigers (10-16-1) in nine innings, 1-0.
After the contest, Austin's surprise at her near accomplishment quickly turned to frustration.
"Was it really?," Austin questioned when told. "I had absolutely no idea. That really, really makes me angry."
Coach Jesse Huff had little to be angry about with both teams exerting strong performances.
"It was a good ballgame to watch today and I'm just glad we came out on top of that one," he said.
The difference in the game came during the top of the ninth. Freshman Ashley Flener lined a one-out single to centerfield. Next up, clean-up hitter Taylor Brackett smacked a hard single to left, which skipped past the charging fielder. The fielding error allowed Flener to score and Brackett to advance to second. Central could not create any more offense from the opportunity, but the run proved to be enough.
Hopkinsville's Shelby Alder started the bottom of the ninth with a walk - Austin's only free pass of the game. Alder then stole second and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt.
"I walked her and it was frustrating for me," Austin said. "I just kind of put that out of my mind. I used the anger to get back at the other batters and I used the anger to throw harder. I think I threw the hardest in the ninth inning, I know I did."
Austin beared down and struck out the next two batters to finish the game. Austin tossed eight innings with seven strikeouts and faced 25 batters, just one above the minimum. Crawley threw a perfect third inning.
"We had a lot of heat today, so we were using Taylor Crawley in there to split up in there right between," Huff said. "We thought it would be a seven-inning game. Of course, Hopkinsville came ready to play a good ballgame, which extended all the way to nine. We just let (Austin) keep rolling because her pitch count was still down."
Lady Tiger leadoff hitter Lindsey Ezell broke up the perfect game as well as the no-hit attempt to begin the seventh. Ezell reached on a grounder to third, but was tagged out when she rounded first base. Then, Wendy Johnson recorded a hit on an infield pop-up.
Next to the plate, Brittney Castle hit a grounder to Flener at shortstop. Flener flipped the ball to second for the force, but the relay missed the mark at first and Castle broke for second. First baseman Alexis Curneal picked up the ball and threw back to Flener, who applied the tag at second for the third out.
Offensively, Hannah Tow and McKenzie Taylor each finished the game 2-for-3. Flener and Brackett rounded out the hits for Central with Flener scoring the game's lone run.
With the cancellation of Central's RainCatcher Invitational, the Lady Storm next play 5:30 p.m. Monday against Muhlenberg South.
Central (18-7) 000 000 001 - 1 6 0
Hopkinsville (10-16-1) 000 000 000 - 0 2 1
WP: Ali Austin
LP: Brittney Kiem
"I walked her and it was frustrating for me," Austin said. "I just kind of put that out of my mind. I used the anger to get back at the other batters and I used the anger to throw harder. I think I threw the hardest in the ninth inning, I know I did."
Austin beared down and struck out the next two batters to finish the game. Austin tossed eight innings with seven strikeouts and faced 25 batters, just one above the minimum. Crawley threw a perfect third inning.
"We had a lot of heat today, so we were using Taylor Crawley in there to split up in there right between," Huff said. "We thought it would be a seven-inning game. Of course, Hopkinsville came ready to play a good ballgame, which extended all the way to nine. We just let (Austin) keep rolling because her pitch count was still down."
Lady Tiger leadoff hitter Lindsey Ezell broke up the perfect game as well as the no-hit attempt to begin the seventh. Ezell reached on a grounder to third, but was tagged out when she rounded first base. Then, Wendy Johnson recorded a hit on an infield pop-up.
Next to the plate, Brittney Castle hit a grounder to Flener at shortstop. Flener flipped the ball to second for the force, but the relay missed the mark at first and Castle broke for second. First baseman Alexis Curneal picked up the ball and threw back to Flener, who applied the tag at second for the third out.
Offensively, Hannah Tow and McKenzie Taylor each finished the game 2-for-3. Flener and Brackett rounded out the hits for Central with Flener scoring the game's lone run.
With the cancellation of Central's RainCatcher Invitational, the Lady Storm next play 5:30 p.m. Monday against Muhlenberg South.
Central (18-7) 000 000 001 - 1 6 0
Hopkinsville (10-16-1) 000 000 000 - 0 2 1
WP: Ali Austin
LP: Brittney Kiem
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