Can’t catch a break
The score didn’t look close, but Jack Seelhammer felt his team was right there with Center Point-Urbana Friday night. In the end, the eighth-ranked Pointers came away with a 10-5 victory over New Hampton in the Class 3A semifinal game, but Seelhammer was right: This was one of those “what-if” games. What if the Chickasaws had fielded just a bit better? What if two hard hit balls in the third inning hadn’t gone right back to Center Point-Urbana pitcher Bailey Smith? What if Isabel Leichtman’s blast to right field had a few more feet in it? “We didn’t get any breaks — in the field or at the plate,” Seelhammer said after his team finished the season 25-15. “I know we were down 10-2 at one point, but it didn’t ever feel like a blowout to me.” CPU built a 4-0 lead, thanks to four unearned runs, heading into the bottom of the third inning before Lexi Rasmussen reached on an error that scored Lauren Frerichs. Both Emma Nicolaisen and Leichtman hit the ball well but right at Smith and CPU escaped more damage.
For the full story, please see the July 11 Tribune.