Warner Robins softball team loses in semifinals

ELBERTON -- There will be no three-peat for the Warner Robins American Little League softball team this year.

A 9-7 loss to Bartow County crushed the dreams of Warner Robins on Tuesday in the semifinals of the state tournament.

“We had two bad innings the whole tournament,” manager David Quakenbush said. “It just happened to be (Tuesday).”

Warner Robins started strong, getting the first run of the game in the top of the first inning when Courtney Walker had an RBI single to score Amber Coy.

But Bartow County opened it up in their half of the first with a few bad bounce errors from the Warner Robins defense allowing five runs to score. Kinsey Liscio hit the first double for Bartow County and also had an RBI, with Victoria Dabbs scoring.

Coy pitched the first 1-1/3 innings.

Quakenbush said his players didn’t say what the issue was with fielding but admitted it might have been nerves.

The second inning proved to be just as difficult as the defense gave up four more runs.

Sarah Smith, whose nickname is “Lou Lou,” came in to pitch with one out and pitched until the end of the third. Bartow County wouldn’t score again the rest of the game after the nine runs.

Warner Robins team battled back in the next inning when Kayla Quakenbush drove Coy home, making it 9-2 after three innings.

In the fourth, Warner Robins scored three more runs, narrowing the gap to four. Quakenbush again had a double with two more RBI with Coy and Madi Slappey scoring. Coy was 3-for-3 with a walk and an RBI.

Walker went to the mound in the fourth and had three strikeouts for Warner Robins in her two innings.

For Bartow County, Liscio had five strikeouts in two innings.

“We just gave up too many runs,” said Quakenbush.

Coach Kevin Coy was consoling his daughter after the game as many of the players came out of the dugout crying.

“I’m proud of them,” Coy said.

Even though Kevin Coy and his daughter Amber went to Portland, Oregon last year for the World Series, he had a great summer.

“This year was just as fun,” he said.

Warner Robins’ players hadn’t played as a team on a travel ball team like last year’s World Series Champions, and three of the players have only participated in Little League.

“These girls have grown tremendously since June 15 (when the All Stars were announced),” Kevin Coy said.

Five players from this year’s team are eligible to return next year for a chance to win the title again.

Now the girls will play host to whoever wins Wednesday as the Georgia team in the Southeastern Regional, which starts July 27 in Warner Robins.

“We’ll be out there supporting them at Southeast,” Coy said.

This story was originally published July 19, 2011 at 11:59 PM with the headline "Warner Robins softball team loses in semifinals."