Johnson no-hits Sharkey
Published 12:00 am Thursday, September 2, 2004
Porters Chapel Academy’s Annie Beaugh keeps her eyes on the ball during the Lady Eagles’ 15-0 win over Sharkey-Issaquena Academy on Monday. (Meredith SpencerThe Vicksburg Post)
[8/31/04]After a scoreless first inning, Porters Chapel coach Mike Grzanich told his team not to let Sharkey-Issaquena hang around and make a game of it.
The Lady Eagles got the message loud and clear.
PCA sent 13 batters to the plate and scored nine runs in the bottom of the second inning, then added six more in the third to rout the Lady Feds 15-0 Monday afternoon at Bazinksy Park.
Lauren Johnson walked the first batter she faced, then retired the next nine batters in order for her second no-hitter in less than a week. She also helped her own cause with an RBI triple, while Amy and Annie Beaugh and Ashley Johnson each had two hits and two RBIs for PCA (14-5, 5-0 District 4-A).
SIA fell to 3-11, and 3-3 in district play.
“Today was a good game for us. We came back from a hard weekend and, not saying this was a break, but this gave us a chance to relax a little bit and calm down from the weekend,” said Grzanich, whose team went 4-1 and won the Central Hinds tournament over the weekend.
Lauren Johnson was thrown out while trying to steal home to end the first inning, but the lost run made no difference after the second.
PCA started the inning with four walks and an infield single, and took advantage of four passed balls to take a 4-0 lead without hitting a ball out of the infield. Amy Beaugh finally brought some power to the rally, delivering an RBI double that scored Erica Bland and made it 5-0.
Lauren Johnson added an RBI triple and Annie Beaugh had an RBI double before Ashley Johnson drove in the final run of the inning with a groundout. When the dust had settled, PCA held a commanding 9-0 lead and the game was basically over.
“We came in the first inning, and the heart of our order didn’t score a run. That shouldn’t happen,” Grzanich said. “But the bottom of our order came up in the second inning and got on base and allowed the top of our order a chance to knock them in.”
PCA batted around again in the third inning, scoring six runs to end the game by the 15-run mercy rule.
Ashley Johnson, Bailey Williams, and Annie Beaugh each had an RBI single, while Katie Koestler had an RBI triple.