Rich Gets Richer

Samantha Rich acknowledged she started Friday's Region 1-2A semifinal against county rival Port St. Joe a bit shaky.
She ended the contest with a wallop.
Rich hit a critical home run which seemed to add oomph to her fastball and was her typical dominant self on the pitching mound as Wewahitchka emerged with a 3-1 victory and a trip to still another regional final.
The Lady Gators, 24-2, will meet the winner of Sneads versus Cottondale on Tuesday night. The site of the game is to be determined.
"That was the biggest playoff hurdle we've faced in Northwest Florida in a long time," said Wewahitchka coach Coy Adkins of the fourth meeting between the schools this year. "I was proud of our team.
"(Port St. Joe) has a good team and Kayla (Minger) is an excellent pitcher."
If two at-bats can decide a seven-inning game, then the bottom of the fifth and the top of the sixth were the tipping point.
Leading off the Wewahitchka half of the fifth, Rich turned on the first pitch from Minger and launched it over the left-field fence to give the Lady Gators, leading 2-1 at the time, some crucial breathing room.
It was Rich's 11th homer of the season and the Lady Gators' 39th, a school record.
In the visitor's half of the sixth, Jo Williams and Minger walked to start the inning and reached second and third one out later on a bunt by Heather Brinkmeier.
Heather Strange, who has been a nemesis of the Lady Gators all season, worked the count full but struck out looking to end the threat.
"I think after she hit that home run, Samantha kicked it up a notch," Adkins said. "We walked Minger intentionally there because we didn't want her to hurt us. What was big for us was we made the plays after that."
Rich (16-2) struck out the side in the seventh to end the game, finishing with a two-hitter.
"I was going kind of slow at beginning, but I picked it up toward the end," Rich said. "The home run was definitely big for me."
That such heroics were needed at all was in large part due to Minger (19-6), who was also solid on the mound, striking out seven while being nicked for seven hits.
Hilary Chapman led off the game for Wewahitchka with a single to right, stole second and advanced to third on a fielder's choice.
Rich followed with a bunt to Minger who turned toward first base but wheeled and caught Chapman off third, catching Chapman in a rundown that ended with Williams tagging her at the plate.
In the third, Becca Barnes led off with a single to right-field, Chapman (3 for 3) singled to right-center, sending Barnes to third. Chapman went to second as Port St. Joe did not attempt to stop her.
Summer Grice bunted straight to Minger, who again looked toward first and turned to third to catch Barnes off the bag and producing another rundown which ended with Strange applying the tag at third.
"I thought we hit Kayla early but we ran ourselves out of some big innings," Adkins said. "I'll take the blame for that."
The Lady Gators' third inning, however, did not end before they produced the first run as Rich (2 for 2 with two RBIs) bounced a single over third base scoring Chapman from second.
Leading off the fourth, Minger, who entered the game on a 10 for 10 tear at the plate and who reached base each of her three plate appearances, tied the game at 1-1 by scorching a 3-2 pitch over the centerfield fence.
The tie was short-lived as Barnes singled in a run in the bottom of the fourth inning and the rest was up to Rich.
"We get in there but we can't quite get it done," said Port St. Joe coach Jim Belin. "The two things that kill us continued to kill us, Samantha Rich and Hilary Chapman. We just couldn't get them out."