Plant City falls apart after Newsome's eight-run inning

PLANT CITY — Newsome already had scored twice in the top of the sixth, led Plant City 4-3, had the bases loaded and seemingly owned the momentum, yet Wolves coach Jessi Kowal wasn't content.

She wanted more.

So when two straight batters failed to get anyone home, Kowal began to get a little concerned.

"I thought, 'Gosh, if they get out of this, they're going to rally and be pumped up,' " she said.

Bailey Schinella made sure that didn't happen.

Brought in as a pinch hitter, the freshman's two-out triple to left-centerfield drove in three and keyed an eight-run inning as the Wolves won 10-3.

"She just got it done," Kowal said.

Before the sixth, Newsome (13-5) trailed 3-2 and Raiders pitcher Megan Still seemed to be in control. But the Wolves opened the inning with a single, double and another single to draw even. An error on a ball hit by Newsome pitcher Ashley Stubbs plated another run and gave the Wolves the lead.

Yet after Still induced back-to-back outs, there remained optimism in the Raiders' dugout.

"I was hoping we'd get out of it," Plant City coach Heidi Kouveras said.

Schinella's shot put those thoughts to rest, and the Wolves would score three more in the inning after that, leaving their opponent a bit shellshocked.

"As soon as things fall apart for us, they really fall apart," Kouveras said.

From there, Stubbs did the rest. Plant City (10-3) went down quietly in the sixth and seventh innings to lose for the first time in six games.

"We," Kouveras said, "had been playing excellent."