Eureka Times-Standard

Cats close out perfect


Sunday, June 01, 2003 Perhaps most surprising, and most telling, about this year's team is not so much what they achieved -- a fifth league title in six years to go with the second NCS crown -- but rather that they achieved it at such a young age.

Six of Saturday's starters were sophomores, two were juniors, and just one senior, and it was the quick maturation of the underclassmen this spring that paved the way for such an historic run.

Two of those underclassmen, Miranda and Cook, came up huge Saturday.

Miranda struck out 12 batters for the victory, allowing just two runners reach base through the opening six innings, and retiring the side in order four times.

Cook, meanwhile, finished 3-for-4 with a home run, a triple and four RBIs, and reached base all four times she went to bat.

Cook hit an in-the-park home run in the fifth, barely beating out the tag at home plate, and then followed that up with a triple on her next at-bat, and making it all the way to home plate on an wild throw.

Earlier, the centerfielder had opened the scoring for the Cats, scoring from third after Cailin Garber capped an impressive at-bat with a line drive base hit past the second baseman.

Cook took a hard knock in the head while safely stealing second base in the third, but instead of slowing her down, it just seemed to spark her even more.

In the top of the fifth, Felicia Miranda led off with a double, scoring moments later on a Jackie Miranda double. Haily Miranda added a double in the seventh, before scoring on Cook's home run moments later.

"We thought, if we played error-free ball with the pitchers we have, and if we could score a few runs, we'd be in good shape," Jorgensen said. "(Haily's) been pitching tough for us all year."

The Eagles, who defeated St. Bernard's in Thursday's semifinal, got some offense going with their backs to the wall in the bottom of the seventh, scoring twice on three runs.

It was too little too late, however, and it was the Cats who celebrated the pennant and an undefeated season.

It also marks the first time in the team's recent dominance that they won both the Little Four and NCS titles in the one year, with their previous section crown coming in 1999, the year they placed second in league.

RVC closed out the season 15-5.

 


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