Bearettes defeat Canton prior to season finale
By Chad Wilson Editor

Chad Wilson Photo Brownsboro defeated Canton 5-1 last Tuesday in Canton as Krystin Groothuis led the Bearettes at the plate with three hits and two runs batted in.

Concluding the 2008 softball season with a loss to Bullard last Friday the Brownsboro Bearettes finished the year with an 8-17 overall record and a 1-9 District 14-3A record.

In Bullard the Bearettes fell to the Lady Panthers by the score of 8-0. Brownsboro's only hit was off the bat of freshman Malea Sims.

Allison Palmer pitched all six innings for Brownsboro allowing 15 hits and one walk. She struck out two batters.

"We went through a lot of growing pains this season. We learned a ton and finished the second half of district playing well." Bearette coach James Croley said.

Croley is looking towards next season as the Bearettes will return all but one starter.

"We need to take the lessons we learned this year and move forward. I truly belive we can compete for a playoff spot in our new district," Croley said.

Next season the Bearettes will be in District 20-AAA with Athens, Crockett, Fairfield, Palestine and Westwood.

Brownsboro won its first District 14-3A game last Tuesday 5-1 in Canton.

Krystin Groothuis picked up the win as she struck out six batters in seven innings. She allowed just seven hits and walked two.

`KG' led the Bearettes at the plate as well. She had three hits and two RBI.

With the Bearettes leading 2-1 entering the top of the seventh inning the bats came alive. Stefani Vause singled with one out to ignite the rally.

With a runner on Danielle Bynum singled to left advancing Vause to third.

Randi Smith singled to right to score Vause and give the Bearettes a 3-1 lead. Bynum advanced to third on the hit allowing Smith to steal second with Groothuis at the plate.

Groothuis singled to left scoring Bynum and Smith to give the Bearettes a 5-1 lead entering the bottom half of the seventh inning.

Canton loaded the bases in the bottom half of the inning with one out. Groothuis induced a soft liner to Bynum at third, Bynum snagged the ball in the air before stepping on third for a game ending double play.

Brownsboro totaled 10 hits against Canton. Randi Smith had two hits and 3 runs batted in. Chelsea Holcomb had a double while Carley Smith, Allison Palmer and Vause each had a hit.

As a team the Bearettes batted .274 on the season while scoring 91 runs on 177 hits.

Randi Smith and Groothuis tied for the team lead in average at .380, hits 30 and plate apperances 79. Carley Smith led the team in runs scored with 17 and walks with 12. All three girls return to the Bearettes next season.

For photos of the Bearettes during the 2008 season go online to c-bstatesman.com.

District 14-3A Standings

Final
Bullard 10-0
Van 7-3
Athens 6-4
Canton 5-5
C.Hill 3-7
B'boro 1-9