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West hurls perfect game
Published Wednesday, April 30, 2008
By Mike Simmons, AlbertLeaTribune.com
Coming into Tuesday’s game with Mankato West, Tigers head coach Chad Feikema knew his Albert Lea softball team (2-6) would be in for a tough battle against Scarlet pitching.
This West team has not lost a regular season game in the last three years, including this season, accumulating a ridiculous 47-0 record in that time.
That streak continued against the Tigers when Scarlet junior Ashley Veroeven threw a perfect game as West came away with a 12-0 Big Nine win in Albert Lea.
“They are a really good team,” Feikema said. “We knew coming in that we were facing not only a good pitching team but one that can hit the ball as well.”
While Veroeven was on her way to striking out 12 of the 15 Tigers she faced in the five inning game, the Scarlets bats were busy scattering 14 hits of their own, including two home runs by Alyssa Black and Nikki Strarkson.
Dezeray Jacobs took the mound for the Tigers and effectively kept Albert Lea in the ballgame through the first four innings, trailing just 5-0.
But then that one big inning that every coach has nightmares about happened to the Tigers when the Scarlets batted around the order. Eleven hitters came to the plate, scoring seven runs in the top of the fifth to put the game out of the Tigers reach.
Jacobs gave up 14 hits, struck out three, walked four and allowed 12 runs.
“My biggest concern right now is that we just continue to improve,” Feikema said. “The last couple of seasons it seems like when we get past the prom, focus becomes an issue for us.
“This is the second or third sport for many of these girls so we want to try to continue to enjoy the game and being around each other, and to not let opportunities slip by us.”
On the defensive side the Tigers did have one outstanding play in the field in the first inning when left fielder Corissa Ranum reached over the fence and robbed what would have been two-run blast by the Scarlets’ Veroeven.
A.L. will be back in action Thursday afternoon when they travel to Rochester to face Mayo who beat the Tigers 8-3 earlier in the year.
Mankato West 12, Albert Lea 0
MW - 013 17x x - 12
AL - 000 00x x - 0
WP - Ashley Veroeven 5 IP, 12 K, 0 hits, 0 BB, 0 runs
LP - Dezeray Jacobs 5 IP, 3 K, 14 hits, 4 BB, 12 runs
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