6A softball: Durant uses bunts to foil Countryside

CLEARWATER — Alyssa Bache was practically unhittable Friday night, and when Durant couldn't seem to figure out a way to drive any of her pitches for hits, it decided to bunt them for hits instead.

Laying down three bunts in the top of the ninth inning to confound the Countryside defense, Durant scored three runs for a 4-2 victory.

Countryside, bidding for a second straight state semifinal appearance, finished 23-5.

After Durant (24-5) tied the score at 1 in the fourth inning, Bache, only a freshman, turned dominant. She retired 14 straight batters, nine by strikeout, before Brandi Regan reached on a one-out bunt single in the ninth inning.

Sara DeMuth, who struck out her previous three at-bats, singled to rightfield and took second on the throw to third, which was late.

Countryside coach Kaylyn Bayly said Bache was trying to walk cleanup hitter Kelsey Horton by keeping the ball outside, but the shortstop reached out and put down a perfect bunt that straddled the first base line and made it 2-1.

"They threw down a couple of bunts, and that surprised us," Bache said. "It sort of got us a little confused."

An error by Countryside on the next play let in another run, and another Durant bunt resulted in an out but scored a run to make it 4-1.

Countryside rallied in the bottom of the inning, as Dineen Vaughan doubled to lead off and scored on Ayanna Andrews' single. But with two runners on, Durant's DeMuth was able to retire No. 3 hitter Gia Temossone and No. 4 hitter Desiree Baker to end the game.

Bache allowed four hits in nine innings, striking out 12.