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Dragons Burn Down Devils

Brian Gjurgevich/Highlands Today

Lake Placid third baseman Amanda Wood (right) throws to second for a force-out on Tuesday while teammate Christina Wells looks on during the Green Dragons' 11-2 victory over the Red Devils.

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By BRIAN GJURGEVICH

Highlands Today

Published: February 19, 2009

AVON PARK - There may have been a slight shift in power among Highlands County's high school softball programs on display Tuesday, and in all honesty, Ashley Paeplow felt a bit guilty about it.

"I felt kind of bad doing that to them, but they've done it to us a few times," said Paeplow with a gleam of sincerity as she gestured toward the scoreboard and an 11-2 Lake Placid victory over Avon Park. "This is just a great win for all of us, because we've finally found a team that works together."

Kayla Summerfield, who led the Dragon charge at the plate with a three-hit, three-RBI night, said the team is ecstatic about its swift start after a tough 2008 campaign. She said the Dragons are undoubtedly a unit this season, and that's never more evident than with the enthusiasm they show during team cheers.

"We're all together," Summerfield said. "We sing as a team and we don't care what anybody thinks about us, really."

Pitcher Alyssa Allen didn't manage a strikeout and allowed eight hits over seven innings, but she kept the Red Devil bats in check and leaned on her defense to pick up a complete-game victory.

"I was actually releasing the ball in the right spot and had my mind set on what I had to do," Allen said. "Having everyone behind me helped a lot. Christina was right there to calm me down and I love my catcher."

First-year AP coach Wade Jackson said he had to take his hat off to the Dragons, who hadn't beaten the Devils since 2002.

"The bottom line is they came out and got big hits when they needed it," Jackson said. "They swung the bats well and we didn't. Their pitcher didn't walk people, she put it in the strike zone and her fielders backed her up.

"And that was the difference in the game."

The Red Devils (1-2) got on the board in the second when Jamise Perry knocked an RBI single to score Danielle Tomlinson and looked to be rolling right along behind pitcher Amber Tindell's first two innings, in which the she struck out three and held the Dragons without a hit.

But singles to open the third inning paid off for LP when first baseman Diane Martinez knocked an RBI single to the right side to score Paeplow, and Kayla Summerfield followed on the next pitch, which got to the backstop and put the Dragons up 2-1.

LP (2-1) padded its lead in the fifth when Paeplow (who finished 2-for-3 with three runs scored) knocked a sharp single up the middle to score Ashley Wells from second, and Martinez came through again with runners in scoring position with a blooper up the middle to score Paeplow and make it 4-1. One pitch later, Summerfield cracked another sharp single up the middle, scoring Christina Wells and sending Martinez to third. She then scored on a fielder's choice, and suddenly, LP carried a 6-1 lead into the sixth.

"We're spending at least an hour a day in the batting cages," said Green Dragon coach Marilyn Jones. "I may not have been a firm believer in that before, but I am now."

After the Devils cut into the lead in the top of the sixth when Brearnna Tate came home on a fielder's choice to score a run, the Dragons sealed the deal in the top of the sixth, scoring five runs on one hit, four walks and three wild pitches. With the bases loaded and one out, Summerfield started the barrage with an RBI single to score Paeplow, and two pitches later, a wild pitch scored Christina Wells, and Martinez followed her home on a groundout by Kylie Weber.

Summerfield and Jessica Wantuck then scored on wild pitches, and Allen finished the Devils off in the seventh, taking down the top of the order on two groundouts, a walk and a pop-out.

"Alyssa was throwing hard," Jones said. "I let (Paeplow) call all her pitches and she was accurate. Sometimes, she can throw a little too hard, but tonight she kept her focus."

The Dragons are back in action today when they host McKeel. The Devils, meanwhile, host Palmetto on Friday night. Both games are set for 7:30 p.m. starts. The two meet again on April 6 at Lake Placid.

"They had better fielding and pitching," said Avon Park's Katelynn Stoll, who led the Devils with two hits. "But we know what we did wrong, and I think we'll have a chance to beat them next time."

Brian Gjurgevich can be reached at 863-386-5841 or bgjurgevich@highlandstoday.com.

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