UPDATED: Miners fall 1-0 to end dream season, Carpenter wins mental attitude

Lady Miner Darien Huffman cries after receiving her runner-up medal after the Class 2A State Championbship softball game Saturday. (By B.J. Hargis/Greene County Daily World). [Order this photo]

Linton-Stockton senior Izzy Carpenter poses with her parents Mark and Sandy Carpenter and officials of Farm Bureau Insurance and the Indiana High School Athletic Association after winning the Mental Attitude Award for Class 2A softball. Linton-Stockton High School was presented a check for $1,000 in Carpenter's name. (By B.J. Hargis/Greene County Daily World). [Order this photo]

The grounds crew is getting the field ready and we are little over an hour away from first pitch of the Linton-Stockton Lady Miners quest for a state championship.

The Madison-Grant Lady Argylls are the last team standing in the way of the Miners. Madison-Grant defeated heavily favored Indianapolis Scecina in the second semifinal Friday night, 3-0.

Inside the circle for the Lady Argylls will be senior Sara Webster. The hard-throwing righty boasts a season record of 19-3 and has compiled an impressive 221 strikeouts in 155 innings of work. She fanned seven batters against Scecina Friday night and allowed just two hits.

Webster's battery mate, Bonnie Parker blasted a line drive homer in the Lady Argylls win Friday night.

The Lady Miners will use the same lineup they won with Friday night:

1. Savannah Mason, 2B

2. Darien Huffman, CF

3. Stephanie Fougerousse, P

4. Taneal Church, LF

5. Izzy Carpenter, 1B

6. Hali Murray, C

7. Jenica Ringo, 3B

8. Katie West, RF

9. Samantha Butt, SS

Pending on internet connection in the press box, I will try and give updates with some highlights each half inning of play.

We are about 10 minutes away from the first pitch and the Lady Miners are taking their infield. I have not spoke with any of the girls, but by the looks of warm-ups the team appears to be a little nervous before playing in their first state championship game. Im sure the infield was not as crisp as what coach Flater would have like, but hopefully they will get all the nerves out now.

Had a free moment to chat with Ruan Fougerousse a few moments ago. The mother of Stephanie mentioned the junior's back is still bothering her, but she is a warrior and is going to start inside the circle.

Fougeorusse has been bothered off and on through-out the past two season with back spasms and was bothered once again the last couple innings in Friday nights game.

It was hard to tell if the tears running down her face after the Miners disposed of Wheeler, were tears of joy or pain, or perhaps a bit of both.

Regardless, she will be the starter for the Miners just as she has in each of their post-season victories leading up to the biggest game in school history.

We are just about set for the first pitch....

Savannah Mason turned on the first pitch of the game from Webster and drilled one deep down the left field line for a long strike. After battling to a 2-2 count Mason hit a harmless fly ball to the left fielder for the first out of the game. Webster then makes quick of Darien Huffman. Fougerousse then stepped to the plate and drilled the first pitch well over the left field fence and hit a school bus parked about 40 feet beyond the wall. The umpired ruled the ball crossed foul......looked like a fair ball from my angle behind the plate in the press box.....nonetheless, she proceeds to line a single just inside the third base bag down the left field line on the next pitch. Webster then gets out of the inning with a strikeout of Church. Top of first inning, no runs, one hit and one left on base.

Lacey Little leads off the bottom half of the first inning for the Lady Argylls. Fougerousse shows no sign of a bad back after her at bat, then she sat Little down on a change-up for the first out. Kendra Stitt, followed with a perfect bunt and the Miners had no chance to throw out the speedster, as she reaches with a one-out bunt single. Sam Yeagy tried to lay down a sacrifice bunt, but Fougerousse pounced on the ball and fired a strike to second base to gun down the lead runner. Fougerousse got out of the inning with a punchout.

Bottom of first inning, no runs, one hit and one left on base.

Izzy Carpenter leads off the top of the second inning for the Miners with a single that deflected off the glove of the first and second basemen and ended up in right field. Hali Murray follows with a bunt single.....he was not bunting for a hit, but placed it perfectly past the outstretched arms of the pitcher Webster to give the Miners a real threat with runners at first and second and no one out. Jenica Ringo follows up with a sacrifice bunt to move the runners to second and third with just one out setting the table for Katie West. Webster gets a huge out as West pops out to the first baseman to bring up Samantha Butt with two outs. Butt gets robbed of a two run single by a diving catch from the right fielder Kendra Stitt to end the inning. That could be a game-changing play early in the game.

Top of second inning, no runs, two hits and two left on base.

Samantha Fields leads off the bottom of the second inning for the Lady Argylls and Fougerousse mows her down on four pitches for the first out of the inning. Bonnie Parker now steps to the plate. She belted an impressive homer Friday night. Fougerousse starts her off with a change-up and quickly works ahead in the count 1-2. Parker fouls a fastball off to stay alive. Fougerousse just missed setting down the slugger with a change-up that must have been just inches outside to even the count at 2-2. Another foul ball. The sixth pitch in the at bat and Fougerousse drills Parker in the side. The Argylls have a base runner with one out. Sydnie Holland lays down a successful sacrifice bunt to move the runner in scoring position, now with two outs. Shelby Wells steps in the box and Fougerousse sends her back to ther dugout with her fourth punchout of the game.

Bottom of the second, no runs, no hits, one left on base.

Mason leads off the top of the third inning off for the Miners by hitting the ball to the wrong part of the field as she flies out to Stitt in right field for the first out of the inning. Huffman jumps all over a 2-0 pitch from Webster but fouls it straight back. Another foul ball and the count is even at 2-2. A thrid consecutive foul ball keeps Huffman alive. And now a fourth straight pitch spoiled by Huffman. She finally flies out to center field for the second out of the inning. The Miners are really making Webster work hard for her outs which could pay off later on in the game. Fougerousse digs into the box and Webster is being more selective with her pitches to the power hitter this time up as Fougerousse works ahead in the count 2-0. Two straight foul balls evens the count at 2-2. A pitch in the dirt makes the count full now. The pay-off pitch misses high and outside and Fougerousse draws a two-out walk. Brittany Rehmel enters as the courtesy runner for Fougerousse. Church steps in the box and is set down by Webster on three pitches to end the inning.

Top of third inning, no runs, no hits and one left on base.

The game is shaping up erie similar to Friday night as the Lady Miners are getting runners on base early but have stranded four through the first three innings.

The No.9 hitter for Madison-Grant, Lauren Stanley leads off with a bunt and is thrown out at first by Fougerousse. Lead-off hitter Little follows with a pop-out to first base for the second out. Fougerousse makes quick work of the Argylls in the third inning as she ends the inning with a strikeout.

Bottom of third, three-up, three down.

Izzy leads off the fourth inning with a pop-out to short. Murray steps in with one out. Murray reaches base for the second time as she draws a one-out walk. Jannae Jackson will be the courtesy runner at first for Murray. Ringo lays down a great bunt, but it finally rolls foul just before reaching first base for strike one. Jackson falls asleep at first base and nearly gets picked off first on a bang-bang play. Appeared the Miners got a break on the call. Ringo is now swinging away and fouls two pitches off and remains behind in the count 1-2. Ringo now strike outs for the second out of the inning. Murray ends the inning as she grounds out to Webster.

Top of fourth inning, no runs, no hits and one more left on base.

The heart of the Argylls line-up is due in the home half of the fourth as their No. 3, 4 and 5 hitters step in against Fougerousse. Yeagy leads off with a hit, as she hit a one-hopper that ate Ringo up at third base. Runyan hits a smash to Mason at second base as sheh flipped to Butt at shotstop for the out, but Butt appeared to be lost on the play as she made a delay throw to first. The play is mute now as Mason fields another grounder, tags the runner out and flips to for first a inning ending twin-killing.

Bottom of fourth inning, no runs, one hit and no one left on base.

Butt leads off the fifth inning for the Miners.The fifth and sixth innings have been more than friendly for the Miners in the post-season thus far and hopefully the trend will continue. Butt leads off with a walk to start the inning to bring up Mason. Mason will be trying to advance the runner along here. Butt nearly gets picked off first base on the second pitch. Mason grounds into a fielders choice, followed by a bunt single by Huffman to set the table for Fougerousse with just one out and two ducks on the pond. Fougerousse falls behind in the count 1-2 as Webster is going right after the power hitter. Ball low to even the count. A grounder to second base, which could have been a tailor made double play, but the second baseman goes for the sure out at first to leave runners at second and third with two outs for Church who has K'd twice. Webster quickly gets ahead of Church, 0-2. Church just does stay alive with a foul tip. Called strike three on the inside corner and the Miners can not capitolize on another golden opportunity.

Top of the fifth inning, no runs, one hit and two runners left on base.

Fougerousse falls behind 3-1 to Parker and now gives up a lead-off walk. Im sure the Argylls will be bunting the runner along now with no outs. A successful bunt by Holland gives Madison-Grant a runner in scoring position with just one out and No. 8 hitter, Shelby Wells at the plate. Wells deliver's a hit up the middle off the glove of Fougerousse to plate the first run of the game and the Argylls crowd erupts.

Another bloop hit off the glove of Butt gives the home team two on and one out. A fielders choice by Little loads the bases. Ringo fielded the ball but was unsure and by the time she decided on a play was to late to record an out. The Argylls look poised to blow the game wide oped here, as Flater goes out to settle down her team. The Miners get a huge break at Stitt wanted time on a 2-2 count, and stepped out of the box, Fougerousse went ahead and fired the ball in and the umpired awarded strike three on the call for the second out of the inning. Yeagy, grounds out to third to end the threat but the Argylls now have a 1-0 lead.

Bottom of fifth inning, one run, two hits and three left on base.

To answer a question from a fan at home, the crowd sizes look pretty comparable from my angle in the press box, but the Miners faithful could be slightly larger. Both teams are well supported.

Back to the action. Izzy leads off the top of the sixth inning with a stand-up double that one-hopped the fence in left center. Murray now steps in looking to tie the game up with a hit, doesnt appear to be bunting as she is now ahead in the count 2-1. Murray hits a lazy fly to right field for the first out. Niebrugge running for Carpenter thought about tagging up but wisely stopped as Stitt rifled a strike back to the infield. Up now is Ringo. Ringo is retired by the third baseman Yeagy on a nice stop on a line smash for the second out. Niebrugge advances to third base. West steps in and pops out to third base as the Miners strand another runner.

Top of sixth inning, no runs, one hit and one left on base.

Runyan leads off the inning by drawing a four-pitch walk. Fougerousse is starting to favor her sore back as she was wincing after the second pitch to Runyan. Fields lays down a sacrifice bunt moving Runyan into scoring position with just one out. The dangerous Parker steps in with first base open but Fougerousse is going after her. Parker grounds out to Izzy at first on an "excuse me" check swing for the second out. Butt fields a soft liner from Holland and fires to first for the final out of the inning.

Bottom of sixth inning, no runs, no hits and one left on base.

No. 9 hitter Samantha Butt then back to the top of the line-up for the Miners in the top of the seventh inning.

Webster makes quick work of Butt with a strikeout for the fist out, Mason just missed extra bases with a foul ball down the first base line. Behind in the count 0-2. Mason goes down swinging for the second out. Huffman the Miners last chance. The Miners dream season comes to an end as the shortstiop leaps up and makes a spectacular play denying Huffman a single to keep theh Miners season alive.

Nothing to be ashamed of. For a 1-0 game this was very exciting and a great season by both teams come to an end.

Izzy Carpenter is named the Mental Attitude Award Winner