Millennium bashes Lady

Bears
Submitted by Mike Russo on Fri, 05/09/2014 - 12:00am


MILLENNIUMS DeNAE CHATMAN pulls into second Saturday against Skyline. Chatman pitched a complete-game five-hitter,
leading the Lady Tigers past Basha, 5-1, Tuesday in the second round of the Division I state tournament.
Millennium coach Randi J ohns usually eschews small ball in favor of letting her batters hit
away.
She went against her usual game plan Tuesday at No. 6 seed Chandler Basha and made
extensive use of the short game to win 5-1 in the second round of the Division I state
tournament.
I got some tips before coming into this game, J ohns said. I was told small ball works against
this team. It worked well for us.
With the victory, No. 11 Millennium (21-5-1) advanced to play third-seeded Phoenix Sandra
OConnor at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Rose Mofford Softball Complex. The result was unavailable
at press time.
OConnor (27-4) advanced with a 6-5 win over Tempe Corona del Sol.
Millennium lost to OConnor, 6-5, on April 7. The Lady Eagles scored four runs in the bottom
of the seventh inning to pull out the win.
We owe them, just like we owed Basha, J ohns said.
Basha also had defeated Millennium, 6-5, earlier in the season.
If the Lady Tigers won, they will take on the winner of Thursdays Scottsdale Chaparral/Mesa
Red Mountain contest at 6:30 p.m. May 12 at Rose Mofford. If Millennium lost, it would face
the loser of the Chaparral/Red Mountain game at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, also at the Mofford
facility.
Millennium has relied upon an offense that entered Tuesdays game with a .378 batting
average and scoring eight runs per game.
However, the Lady Tigers departed from their normal offensive strategy and bunted six times
against Basha, with four of them going for hits, including one that produced the ultimate winning
run.
Millennium came to bat in the top of the sixth inning with the score tied 1-1 but would go on to
score three runs.
Megan Mabery started the winning rally with a one-out triple into the right-field corner.
When I got up to the plate, I was just thinking base hit, Mabery said. I just hit it. Once it got
on the ground, it was three [bases] all the way.
J ohns then employed a safety squeeze, which had worked to perfection in the Lady Tigers
opening-round victory over Skyline. Leadoff hitter J asmine Ramirez laid down a perfect bunt.
Although a trio of Basha fielders converged on the ball, none made a play on it and Ramirez
reached first as Mabery slid across the plate with the go-ahead run.
It was a safety squeeze, J ohns said. I dont use the suicide squeeze.
I knew that run at third was big for us, Ramirez said. I was going to do whatever the coach
asked. I was surprised to see the bunt signal but that was a very big run, so I did it.
Angelique Elemen kept the rally going with a two-out single to center, sending Ramirez to
second. DeNae Chatman reached on an error, loading the bases. Sabrina Elemen followed with a
rocket that glanced off the third basemans glove and into the left-field corner for a two-run
double.
Insurance run
Millennium added an insurance run in the top of the seventh on bunt singles by Sedona
Velarde and Mabery, sandwiched around a sacrifice bunt by Kallie Christman, putting runners
on the corners. A Ramirez single to center scored the fifth run.
Basha threatened in the home half of the inning but Chatman kept the Lady Bears off the
scoreboard, ending the game with a flourish, striking out Ciara Foster with runners on the
corners.
Millennium took a 1-0 lead in the third when Kelsey Cook drove home Chatman, who had
reached on a fielders choice, with a sacrifice fly to center field.
The Lady Tigers still led 1-0, although they squandered numerous scoring chances, when
Basha tied the game on Briielle Brelands home run to left off a hanging changeup.
I think she was waiting for it, Chatman said of the pitch.
Millennium stranded nine runners through the first four innings and 12 for the game.
It was very frustrating to watch us get all those hits and leave all those baserunners stranded,
especially knowing they are usually more clutch, J ohns said. I was thinking get one run an
inning. I really thought it would be a one-run game.
We have to have more-timely hitting. They were very nervous at the plate at first. They settled
down once we got a run.
The Lady Tigers piled up 15 hits with Sabrina Eleman, Mabery and Angelique Eleman
collecting three hits apiece.
Sabrina Eleman and Ramirez both drove in two runs.
Chatman pitched a complete game, earning the win and elevating her record to 14-3. She gave
up one earned run on five hits, striking out three and walking three.
DeNae pitched well, J ohns said. She really worked the changeup. She left one hanging [on
the home run].
Chatman said she relied upon the experience she gained pitching against the Lady Bears earlier
this season.
I used my changeup a lot more to keep them off balance, Chatman said.
Mike Russo can be reached by email at mrusso@westvalleyview.com.