SPRING HILL - Springstead's early performances have paled in comparison to its 2003 championship season, but opponents quickly writing off the Eagles may need to slow down.
That, or pile up runs when given the chance. Central could have done so Thursday at Springstead on several occasions yet failed each time, then the Bears gloves went as dead as their bats in an 8-3 loss.
"This was big," Springstead coach Craig Swartout said. "(Central's) not a bad team, but if you let a champion hang around long enough, you know ... "
Central did let last year's district champs hang around, failing to capitalize in several innings that could have provided cushions. The Bears left two runners in scoring position in the first, the bases loaded in the third and two more in scoring position in the sixth, settling for one run in each frame.
"It haunted us big time," Central coach Angie Svagerko said. "We didn't get the job done."
But the big downfall for Central (8-7 overall, 8-3 Class 4A, District 9, 3-4 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference) was its defense in a five-run Springstead sixth. The bottom began with the teams tied at 3, but the excellent defense Central had been playing up to that point vanished.
Freshman catcher Hillary Fiocca led off the inning with an infield single, then Stephanie Cox followed with a grounder to first that should have led to at least one out. But Central first baseman Liz Wallace fired wildly to second and the ball rolled through to the fence, allowing Fiocca to score and give Springstead a 4-3 lead.
Destiny Mormando then walked, but a strikeout and groundout to first followed. With runners on second and third a popup to first base from the bat of Heather Benson appeared to end the inning, but Wallace dropped it and both runners scored.
Another run on an error would score for Springstead (6-7, 3-7, 3-3), then an RBI single from Vanessa Ziegler completed the five-run outburst.
"Our defense has been struggling and I said before the game, "win or lose, all I want is defense tonight,' " Svagerko said. "We broke down again."
Central won the first game between the teams Feb. 17.
