By Rob Potter
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS — July 1, 2005 – The Cooper Paint softball team just keeps rolling along.
The squad kept its perfect record intact on Tuesday night with a 20-7 victory over Combined Energy Services (CES) in a Sullivan County Women’s Softball League (SCWSL) “A” Division game at Gary A. Bradley Memorial Field at the White Sulphur Springs Fire Department Park.
Cooper Paint improved to 11-0 on the season, while CES fell to 5-4.
Cooper Paint grabbed a 6-0 lead in the top of the first. One of the key hits in the frame was an RBI double by Leyna Madison.
The team added to its advantage in the top of the second when Denise Vankeuren singled to right center field with two outs and nobody on base. The next batter, Charish Priest, ripped a triple to right center, which allowed Vankeuren to score easily.
CES got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the second. Jill Hubert-Simon led off with a bloop single to left field and Cheryl Sheerer followed with an infield hit.
Two batters later, Kris Klein hit a fielder’s choice grounder to shortstop. As the second out of the inning was recorded at second base, Hubert-Simon crossed home plate to cut the CES deficit to 7-1.
However, Cooper Paint responded with four runs in the top of the third.
Amanda Irwin and Lori Brown earned walks and Ally McCarthy singled to center field to load the bases with no outs. Madison then doubled to right field, bringing both Irwin and McCarthy in to score.
Moments later, Brown scored on an error and Madison crossed home plate thanks to a sacrifice fly by Rochelle “Rocky” Irwin.
Cooper Paint added four more runs in the top of the fourth. Amanda Irwin and Madison had RBI singles in the frame as the squad took a commanding 15-1 lead.
Despite being behind by 14 runs, the CES team remained focused. In the bottom of the fifth, Hubert-Simon and Susan Waddell each hit a single to put two runners on the basepaths with only one out. After Cooper Paint pitcher Nat Cillis induced a fly ball for the second out of the inning, Chris Lopez hit the ball to deep right center field. Hubert-Simon and Waddell scored easily and Lopez sprinted around the bases for a three-run, inside-the-park home run.
In the top of the sixth, Cooper Paint added two runs on an RBI double by Amanda Irwin and an RBI single by Jennifer Wright.
But CES answered with two runs of its own in the bottom of the sixth. Christine Stant led off with a single and advanced to second base on an error. The next batter, Chrissy Powers, ripped a double down the left field line. After Chris Nichols singled to put runners on the corners, Nikomi Thompson hit into a fielder’s choice. Powers crossed the plate on the play to cut the Cooper Paint lead to 17-6.
Cooper Paint scored its final runs of the contest in the top of the seventh. With runners on first and second and no outs, Vankeuren smashed a double to left field to give Cooper a 19-6 lead. The next batter, Priest, then singled home Vankeuren.
Lopez hit an RBI single in the bottom of the seventh to account for the final CES run of the contest.