kepdawg
04-05-2007, 11:32 PM
Justin Northwest's Barnhill has 21 strikeouts in win
11:26 PM CDT on Thursday, April 5, 2007
By DAVE LANCE / The Dallas Morning News
dlance@dallasnews.com
JUSTIN – Once Kelsey Aslett's first-inning line drive reached the outfield and hit the grass, the Justin Northwest softball player no longer watched the flight of the ball.
Instead, she focused on third-base coach Tanya Morrow.
"She was waving her arms and saying, 'Go, go, go!'" Aslett said. "I said, 'OK, I'll go, go, go.' So I kept running."
All the way around the bases for an inside-the-park, three-run home run in Northwest's 3-0 win against Colleyville Heritage on Thursday night. The homer would be all senior pitcher Brittany Barnhill would need in the District 5-5A game. Barnhill, who is signed with the University of Texas, allowed one hit and struck out the side every inning for 21 strikeouts.
After Aslett's home run, Morrow, who is also Northwest's head coach, said she allowed herself to entertain the idea that the game was won. That's the comfort zone Barnhill, who has 289 strikeouts this season, gives her coach.
"Just one run, I'm a little worried," Morrow said. "We get two or three, we've just got to put it in her hands and let her take care of it."
Such is the thinking of Barnhill's teammates, too.
"She gets out there, and everybody's heard of Brittany Barnhill," Aslett said. "You get up there as a hitter, and it's intimidating."
After the first inning, Heritage pitcher Shannon O'Dea settled down and consistently fooled Northwest (24-5-1, 11-1) by mixing speeds. Meanwhile, Barnhill just reared back and threw heat.
After the game, Heritage coach Lance Stephens questioned some of the called strikes on his team. But he acknowledged Barnhill's talent.
"When you sign with Texas ... they don't sign chumps," Stephens said. "She's on another level than the people we see."
11:26 PM CDT on Thursday, April 5, 2007
By DAVE LANCE / The Dallas Morning News
dlance@dallasnews.com
JUSTIN – Once Kelsey Aslett's first-inning line drive reached the outfield and hit the grass, the Justin Northwest softball player no longer watched the flight of the ball.
Instead, she focused on third-base coach Tanya Morrow.
"She was waving her arms and saying, 'Go, go, go!'" Aslett said. "I said, 'OK, I'll go, go, go.' So I kept running."
All the way around the bases for an inside-the-park, three-run home run in Northwest's 3-0 win against Colleyville Heritage on Thursday night. The homer would be all senior pitcher Brittany Barnhill would need in the District 5-5A game. Barnhill, who is signed with the University of Texas, allowed one hit and struck out the side every inning for 21 strikeouts.
After Aslett's home run, Morrow, who is also Northwest's head coach, said she allowed herself to entertain the idea that the game was won. That's the comfort zone Barnhill, who has 289 strikeouts this season, gives her coach.
"Just one run, I'm a little worried," Morrow said. "We get two or three, we've just got to put it in her hands and let her take care of it."
Such is the thinking of Barnhill's teammates, too.
"She gets out there, and everybody's heard of Brittany Barnhill," Aslett said. "You get up there as a hitter, and it's intimidating."
After the first inning, Heritage pitcher Shannon O'Dea settled down and consistently fooled Northwest (24-5-1, 11-1) by mixing speeds. Meanwhile, Barnhill just reared back and threw heat.
After the game, Heritage coach Lance Stephens questioned some of the called strikes on his team. But he acknowledged Barnhill's talent.
"When you sign with Texas ... they don't sign chumps," Stephens said. "She's on another level than the people we see."