CLEARWATER — For five innings, Countryside pitcher Alyssa Bache was perfect against Gaither.
And despite a couple of hiccups in the sixth inning, Bache, just a freshman, proved against Gaither — the No. 1-ranked team in the latest Times softball rankings — she'll be one of the top pitchers in the county for years to come.
With Bache controlling a variety of pitches — drops, risers, fastballs and changeups — and controlling them all well, the Cougars jumped to a 4-0 lead and held on to defeat the Cowboys 4-3, avenging their only loss.
"It was a really tough game," said Bache (7-0). "I wanted to win this one because we lost to them before. I knew it was important, so I wanted to pitch my best."
Bache certainly succeeded in that regard, no-hitting the powerful Gaither lineup through five innings and striking out nine of the first 15 batters she faced. She fanned 10 hitters total.
Countryside (13-1, 7-0) scored the game's first runs in the third inning when Ayanna Andrews, with runners on first and third, smacked a triple to the right-centerfield wall, bringing two runs home. Initially, Andrews only wanted to lay down a bunt.
"The first pitch I was trying to slap, but I got a strike. Then I wanted to bunt, but I bunted a high pitch, and it went foul," Andrews said. "Usually you get the big hits when you don't really try for them, when you don't really expect it. I was just trying to make contact."
Andrews turned in some aggressive baserunning to score the Cougars' third run, coming home on a grounder to the pitcher after the throw to first.
Countryside added the fourth and winning run an inning later when Gia Tomossone led off with a double and scored on Beth Williamson's groundout.
Gaither (14-3, 6-2) finally got to Bache in the sixth. Justin McCoy doubled for the Cowboys' first hit and scored on Katie Forbes' RBI single. Morgan Grove followed by blasting a two-run home run to deep centerfield.
Bache worked a 1-2-3 seventh inning to preserve the victory.
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