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'Small Ball' Helped Get Softball Title Shot

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By DAREK SHARP

The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 7, 2008

PLANT CITY - On the biggest stage it will see, the Durant High softball team plans to do just what it takes to get there.

Whatever it takes.

Durant will play this week for its first state softball title. The Cougars are set to face Palm Beach Gardens at 7 p.m. Friday in the Class 6A state semifinals at Plant City Stadium.

Though it wasn't their normal or even preferred method of approaching the plate, the Cougars used "small ball" to do a lot of their damage in the regional tournament.

"Typically we're, I wouldn't say big hitters, but more of a swing-away-type team," Durant head coach Matt Carter said. "But as this thing has been rolling along, where so many games are decided by one run, you have to be able to bunt effectively."

Right from the start of regional play, the Cougars worked the strategy to perfection. In the first round, Durant beat Gaither 6-2, getting five runs in the second inning with the benefit of three bunts. The Cougars had eight hits, half of them on bunts.

Then in an April 25 regional final at Countryside, Durant won 4-2 in eight innings. In the top of the eighth, Durant scored three times on two sacrifice bunts and an error.

"That was a major, major win for us," Carter said. "They booted us out of the playoffs last year and the year before, and for us to beat them was a big deal."

Durant followed that up with a 3-1 win over West Orange for the regional championship. It was another steady performance for pitcher Sara DeMuth, who has been the biggest reason for the 14-game winning streak the Cougars carry into the stadium.

DeMuth is 19-2 on the season with a .034 earned-run average. She has logged 144 innings on the mound, striking out 170 batters.

The Cougars are 25-5 on the year compared to a 29-4 mark for Friday's opponent. Palm Beach Gardens had two easy wins to start off its regional path (7-0 and 5-0), but then the Gators were forced to sweat out their 6A-Region 3 final victory.

Last year, Palm Beach Gardens lost 1-0 in the region final against Everglades, which went on to win the state title. This time, the team again trailed 1-0 entering the final inning, but the Gators rallied to beat Cooper City 2-1.

Brittany Bowles, Palm Beach Gardens' ace pitcher, threw a one-hitter in the regional finals against Park Vista and is 16-2 for the year.

Starting with a spring break trip to California for a tournament, the Gators have won 11 of 12. They avenged that lone loss, to Santaluces, by beating the Chiefs 7-0 in the regional quarterfinals.

Friday's other 6A semifinal matches defending runner-up Miami Palmetto (24-3) against Jacksonville Mandarin (26-2) at noon. Miami Palmetto has won its last six games by a margin of almost nine, including a 14-0 romp against Miami Springs in the regional final.

Durant's leading hitter is Kelsey Horton, with a 431 average. DeMuth is batting .341 and has the team lead in runs batted in with 32. Kristen Jones hits .419 and has driven in 39.

Friday's semifinal winners will play for the state title at 4 p.m. Saturday.

Reporter Darek Sharp can be reached at dsharp@tampatrib.com.

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