Central's red-hot bats lead to victory over East
May 15—CHEYENNE — Once Cheyenne Central's bats heated up, there was nothing Cheyenne East could do to cool them down.
The Lady Indians tallied 20 hits, including 12 for extra bases during a 20-1 victory over East on Friday afternoon at the Cheyenne Junior League complex.
"We came out ready to hit the ball, we made adjustments really well against their different pitchers," Central coach Carrie Barker said. "They were feeling good after earning a state tournament bid (Thursday), and they were ready to play."
The Indians (10-8 overall, 8-4 East Conference) grabbed a 4-0 lead in the first inning. Shortstop Jayden Gashler drew a walk to lead off the game and moved to second on a bunt single by pitcher Taylor Gebhart. East third baseman Gracie Oswald fielded Gebhart's bunt cleanly, but there was no one covering first base when she reared back to throw.
Gashler and Gebhart both scored on Brogan Allen's double to left-center field. Allen scored on Lauren Lucas' single up the middle, and Lucas pushed the lead to 4-0 when she scored on a wild pitch.
Central junior center fielder Kaitlyn Ackerman lead off the second with a solo home run to straight away center. Ackerman hit for the cycle, adding a double in the third and a triple and single in the fourth. She also drove home three runs.
"I've been seeing the ball really well, and I've been timing the ball really well lately," Ackerman said.
The Indians added two runs to the lead in the third thanks to a two-run homer to left-center off the bat of senior catcher Alexis Naughton.
Central was nervous to start the game because it had already lost to East once. However, the Indians settled in as the game progressed, freshman Ashley Bunch said.
"We got into a groove starting in the second inning," she said. "Once we got a lead, we kind of relaxed."
Central put the game out of reach in the fourth, scoring 13 runs on 12 hits and sending 18 batters to the plate.
"Central came ready to hit, and they deserve a lot of credit because of how well they hit," said East assistant Jess Yost, who served as East's coach Friday because head coach Adam Galicia was at the rehearsal dinner for his daughter Sierra's wedding.
"We just looked like we weren't ready mentally. Central was ready, and we weren't."
Gashler was 3 for 3 with a double and a triple, while Bunch was 2 for 4 with a double a home run and six RBIs.
Naughton finished 2 for 2 with a double, a home run and three RBIs. Allen, Lucas and Drue Mirich all posted two hits. Both of Allen's knocks were doubles, while one of Mirich's was a triple to right-center in the fourth. Allen and Mirich both drove home two runs.
Senior Danielle Ivie's lone plate appearance resulted in a two-run single.
Gebhart went the distance in the pitcher's circle for Central, fanning six and allowing just five hits.
East sophomore Trista Stehwien was 2 for 2 with a triple.
East and Central open state tournament play Thursday in Gillette.
CENTRAL 20, EAST 1 (4)
Cheyenne Central...... 412 (13) — 20 20 1
Cheyenne East...... 000 1 — 1 5 0
Cheyenne Central pitching: Gebhart and Naughton. Cheyenne East pitching: Christensen, Vallejo (3), Christensen (4) and Tinney and Stehwien (3).
W: Gebhart (2-2). L: Christensen (4-3).
2B: Central 6 (Allen 2, Ackerman, Naughton, Gashler, Bunch). 3B: Central 3 (Gashler, Mirich, Ackerman); East 2 (Stehwien, Christensen). HR: Central 3 (Ackerman, Naughton, Bunch).
Jeremiah Johnke is the WyoSports editor. He can be reached at jjohnke@wyosports.net or 307-633-3137. Follow him on Twitter at @jjohnke.
