ST. PETERSBURG — After a series of unforeseen scenarios, Countryside made an unexpected appearance against Northeast in Friday’s Pinellas County Athletic Conference softball title game.
The Cougars didn’t secure its spot until Thursday, which didn’t give coach Kaylyn Bayly much time to decide who would start on the mound. It was a difficult choice considering Countryside and Northeast also are the top seeds in next week’s Class 7A, District 9 tournament.
In the end, Bayly figured two pitchers were better than one. And Alyssa Queen and Stella Preston were equally effective in a 4-1 victory.
“I made up my mind before the game those were the two I was going with,” Bayly said. “It worked out well because they both pitched great.”
Queen went the first four innings, Preston the final three.
The offense provided just enough. The big hit came on Brittany Creamer’s two-run homer in the sixth inning.
The Cougars have won five of seven and scored 10 runs per game. They also have fared well against the Vikings, winning three of the four meetings.