Grand slam lifts Grove over two-time defending champion Carl Albert

BY JOHN D. FERGUSON World Correspondent
Saturday, October 13, 2012
10/13/12 at 5:53 AM

OKLAHOMA CITY - It is safe to say Taylor Dodson learned how to swing a baseball bat before she could walk. Thank her dad, Pat, for that as the former Boston Red Sox player instilled the love of the game in his daughter.

Taylor made dad and the Grove Ridgerunners proud with a fourth-inning grand slam home run.

The blast to left field was huge as Grove went on to win a Class 5A fast-pitch state softball tournament semifinal 7-4 over two-time defending champ Carl Albert at Hall of Fame Stadium Friday night.

Grove (25-5) will meet Chickasha (32-9) in Saturday's 1:30 p.m. final scheduled for Hall of Fame Stadium.

Chickasha defeated Edmond Deer Creek 7-5 in the other game.

"That's my first grand slam of the year," said Dodson, who has made a verbal commitment to Kansas to play softball. "It's definitely the biggest situation home run I've hit."

The Ridgerunners scored five runs in the fourth inning to go from 1-0 down to 5-1 ahead. But, the Titans (29-7) did not go away easily.

Carl Albert pulled to within one at 5-4 before Grove added two insurance runs in the seventh.

The game took 3 hours, 51 minutes to play because of a number of conferences between coaches and officials over a myriad of subjects pertaining to the game.

"We wanted this so bad," Dodson concluded. "We have a great bond on the team. That's the biggest thing we have."

Ironically, these same two teams played in last year's state semifinal.

Carl Albert rallied in the final inning to win.

Chickasha 7, Edmond Deer Creek 5: Brooklin Burns had three hits, including a double, to go with three RBIs to lead the Chicks to their second state final appearance. The first trip to a final came in 1987 and ended in a runner-up finish.

CHICKASHA 7, EDMOND DEER CREEK 5

Chickasha	312	001	0	-	7	7	2
Edmond Deer Creek	000	100	4	-	5	9	4

Gore and Smith; Gipson and Turner.

GROVE 7, CARL ALBERT 4

Grove	000	500	2	-	7	6	1
Carl Albert	010	201	0	-	4	6	1

Walker and Tramel; Medori and Bortvit. HR: Grove, Dodson.

Original Print Headline: Dodson grand slam lifts Grove