Thursday, April 28, 2005 | 9:03 a.m.
They came out of the shadows of all-state pitcher Kim Adams, two great pitchers that have surprised the Northwest Division and turned Cimarron-Memorial into a state title contender.
With a combined 152 strikeouts and a 17-6 record, Kelsey McCoy and Jennifer Liddell have carried the Spartans to an undefeated start to league play, needing a win tonight at 3-11 Cheyenne to clinch the Northwest Division title.
McCoy gave up two hits Wednesday and the Spartans batted around twice in the first inning in a 16-0 victory against Mojave at the Lady Rattler Diamond.
"Both Liddell and McCoy have pitched well all year," Cimarron coach Joe Sarro said. "Kelsey did another good job today. We're able to hit the ball well no matter who they're facing."
The only blemishes in McCoy's five-inning start Wednesday were a first-inning single and fourth inning error by Jessica Harbauer, and a fifth-inning single by Dominique McKeever. But McCoy only had two strikeouts Wednesday, something she attributed to a tough personal situation.
"I've got a lot on my mind today. I wasn't myself today," she said. "This helps to take out my anger, it helps me relax. Even at practice."
Not only does the tandem work well together in the circle, they also work well together in general, Liddell said.
"Kelsey and I are really good friends," she said. "Everybody has more confidence in themselves."
McCoy said there's an added bonus in knowing that there's a lifeline waiting at first base if needed.
"Me and Jen both have a great relationship," she said. "She's very nice, very great. We pick each other up. If we don't have good days, the other is here to pick the other up."
As for their record, Sarro said he's unsure if Cimarron has ever won its division before.
"To get a number one would be something to be proud of," he said. "It would be nice to make it."
Around Town
But on their return visit to Silverado this week, the Cougars fell back in the pack, losing a potential tiebreaker in losing the game to the Skyhawks.
"We didn't bring our bats to that game, we weren't aggressive at the plate," coach Shari Zeigler said. "Any given day someone can beat you. They're a great ball club. On any given day, my kids can be hitting. Hopefully we'll be on top."
Hitting's what Coronado does well. Slugger Candice Harris has 18 extra base hits, including three home runs. Kelsey Wolfe's added nine more extra base hits.
Zeigler also praised senior second baseman Brittany Loisel's offense.
"(She) shows a lot of leadership," Zeigler said. "She gets on consistently almost every game, we just can't seem to execute getting her in all the time."
Coronado hosts Green Valley today and plays at Liberty on Friday.
Bonanza, riding pitcher Megan Lambertz's 1.00 ERA, had up to then perplexed the Southwest Division. Now, Clark and Bonanza sit atop the standings, something that seemingly hasn't happened -- in any sport -- since the Carter administration.
"We all said that everybody was pretty even this year," Bonanza coach Cheryl Speer said. "I think what we've found is that (Clark pitcher Lydia) Pierce has ended up being a better pitcher than people give her credit for, and Megan Lambertz has done a good job for us."
And while the loss to Clark may have cost the Bengals a shot at the Southwest title, it served an important purpose for Speer's team.
"Obviously when you first start (winning), you don't think about it because you're just playing games. By the time we finished the first round, we were pretty excited about it," Speer said. "They didn't know how to act. Getting beaten by Clark, you never want to get beat but I think in their case because they are young, it's helped calm them down a little bit."
Bonanza has a bye this weekend. The Bengals next play Tuesday, when they face Bishop Gorman at West Flamingo Park.
"Can I give you my whole roster?"
A second-year team, the Mustangs have come alive this year for some surprising league wins, most notably Wednesday's 14-3 defeat of defending state champion Centennial.
"It has been a total team effort," Winter said. "The skill is there, the game sense is there. These girls know how to play the game. Now they're finally truly coming together."
A win at Palo Verde tonight would put the Mustangs in a position to take the second seed in the division. At a minimum, it would bolster their chances of getting a third seed.
Winter beamed over her team's Wednesday win, saying that it's the standard her team needs to set to be successful in the postseason.
"I need them to bring the same intensity they brought today to every single game," she said. "We're taking one day at a time. It's a group that's really grown together and solidified and the chemistry's there. As long as they bring intensity, they're going to be tough to beat."
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