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Countryside gets late boost past Plant City

By John C. Cotey, Times Staff Writer
In print: Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Countryside’s Desiree Baker reaches to catch the ball as Plant City’s Amanda Polk dives back to first base.
	[\uFEFFJIM DAMASKE | Times]

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CLEARWATER — With runners on second and third and two outs in a tied game, Countryside's Ali Lamb was just looking to put bat on ball.

She nearly put ball over fence.

Lamb's long drive to the left-centerfield gap in the bottom of the sixth drove in two runs, enough to give Countryside (23-4) a 4-2 win over Plant City (14-5) in the Class 6A region quarterfinals at the Clearwater Rec Center at Misty Springs.

The Cougars's win advances them to the semifinals for the ninth consecutive season.

The Raiders rallied from a 2-0 deficit to tie the game in the sixth on Amanda Alba's single, but were in trouble right away in the bottom half of the inning.

Ashlee Sismilich reached on an error, and Ayanna Anders walked. After a popup on a sacrifice attempt and a strikeout, the pair converted a double steal.

Then Lamb drilled a 2-2 pitch from Megan Still deep to the gap. Plant City centerfielder Kayce Hart nearly caught the ball, just missing what would have been Plant City's third outstanding defensive play of the game.

"She ran her butt off to get to the ball," Plant City coach Heidi Kouveras said. "When she hit the warning track … we don't have a warning track at our place. I think her foot sunk in and (threw her off)."