Swiney delivers Howard to 4-2 win over Centennial Double in 6th breaks up no-hitter, prompts rally

The situation called for someone that could deliver in the clutch.

"If there's anyone on my team I would want in that situation, it's Stacey," Howard coach Dave Vezzi said.

That's Stacey Swiney.

Freshman Stacey Swiney.

"The more pressure, the better I do," Swiney said.

She proved that dramatically yesterday with a one-out double in the sixth that broke up Emily Hall's no-hitter and helped Howard to a four-run inning and a 4-2 victory over visiting Centennial in the 3A East region championship.

Centennial, which didn't play Howard during the regular season because of rainouts and was awarded the county crown despite being three games shy of completing a full schedule, loaded the bases with none out in the seventh but scored only once.

The Lions (14-4) will meet last year's 3A state champion, McDonough, in their first state semifinal game 5: 30 p.m. Tuesday at Randazzo Park.

The left-handed Hall recorded eight strikeouts through five innings, including Swiney in the fourth. At the plate, she led off the sixth with a double to left and scored the game's first run by sliding under Swiney's tag at home.

In the bottom of the sixth, Hall issued a one-out walk, her second of the game, to leadoff hitter Sara Nunnally. With pitcher Rachel Grantham up, Nunnally went to second on a wild pitch and stole third. Hall then hit Grantham on the left hand with an 0-2 count.

Swiney came to the plate and Krystie Dymond, running for Grantham, stole second on the first pitch. Swiney lined the next offering over the shortstop into left-center field that scored Nunnally and Dymond for a 2-1 Howard lead.

"I was just thinking I had to hit it," said Swiney, who has played fast-pitch for three years for the Maryland Magic. "I wanted to get the bat on the ball."

Cleanup hitter Carrie Hubitsky followed with a towering shot to left-center for a triple that scored Swiney. Hubitsky scored to make it 4-1 on a sacrifice fly to left by freshman second baseman Sarah Berg.

Ninth-ranked Centennial loaded the bases in the seventh on Karyn Leineweber's single, an error on Berg and when Grantham hit Kathy Mitroka. Kristy Mitroka's pop-up fell just inside the left-field line to score Leineweber, but Jennifer Anderson was forced out at third.

Hall, who had three hits, singled off the glove of Grantham to load the bases again. Grantham, on a 3-2 count, got Lindsay Von Pairs to foul out to Swiney, then Jodi Godbout grounded out to Berg to end the game.

Pub Date: 5/19/96