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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Archives Revels Classifieds Real Estate Menu Guide Wedding Weather Subscribe Contact Us March 16, 2005 Smith pitches Ashland past visiting Phoenix By Ezra Mannix Tidings Correspondent New head coach Robin McCormick instructs every member of the Ashland High softball team to keep a goal book to set new objectives before each game. ASHLAND SOPHOMORE JASMINE SMITH delivers a pitch during Tuesday's game against Phoenix at North Mountain Park. Smith allowed six hits in a complete-game victory, leading Ashland to a season-opening win. Orville Hector | Ashland Daily Tidings These goal books, however, are not just for athletics, but for academics and career aspirations. One of the purposes of the exercise is getting her team "visualizing themselves being successful and setting a positive goal and being able to measure it," said McCormick, who coached the JV squad for four years before the promotion. The Grizzlies clearly accomplished a positive on-field goal Tuesday and it was easy to measure: they defeated Phoenix High, 6-2, on opening day at North Mountain Park. While the Pirates are a Class 3A team, the victory was none the less appreciated after Ashland went 1-13 in conference play last season. Sophomore Jasmine Smith pitched a quality complete game for Ashland with seven strikeouts and hit a two-RBI single in the bottom of the second inning to tie the game 2-2. Phoenix took an early two-run lead as Smith gave up a walk, a bunt single and a two-out, two-RBI single. "I got nervous in the beginning," she said. "It was intimidating at first." She got over the jitters quickly however, and allowed only five base runners the rest of the game, none of them getting past second. The Pirates' lead lasted until the bottom of the second. Sophomore Michaela Cardoza was hit by a Phoenix pitcher Taylor Barrett. She stole her way to third base while senior sister Amanda Cardoza took a base on balls. Then Smith knocked a single to center to score the Cardozas. "It felt good," Smith said about the hit. "I was struggling in practice at first." She also plays shortstop and first base. The Grizzlies weren't done that inning, though. Barrett walked sophomore April Jorgensen and sophomore Anna Adams drove a double into the right-field gap to score Jorgensen and Smith. The Grizzlies' 4-2 lead intact, Smith got things going again in the bottom of the fourth inning with a bloop single to right. Freshman Samantha Gilbert singled into center field, followed by a fielder's choice by senior Alysse Carlson. With runners on sesond and third, senior Janice Jones hit a center field single to clear the bases. The Pirates wouldn't threaten again. While McCormick doesn't see her team realistically making the playoffs, a "middle of the pack" finish is a good possibility. "The girls are a lot more positive this year," she said. The Grizzlies are strong on defense but still need to execute with runners on base, she added. "If we lose I want it to be because they won, not because we let them," Smith emphasized. Phoenix 200 000 0 - 2 6 0 Ashland 040 200 x - 6 6 1 Taylor and Engle; Smith and Gibbs. W - Smith (1-0); L - Taylor (0-1). 2B - Alysse Carlson. 3B - A: Carlson. DailyTidings.com Home Page Archives | Revels | Classifieds | Real Estate Guide | Weather | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2005 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Deep Muscle Stimulator Ceramic Piggy Banks FREE Entertainment Guide Women's & Men's Slippers Accelerate Weightloss Products Backpacks Online Pharmacy Vegas Travel Guide Search Engine Optimization Student Loans Hotel & Airline Reservations Hammocks Water Filter Helzberg Diamonds Online Casinos Community Bonus Casino Mortgage Calculator Security Systems Mailing Lists Click Here Advertisement .:Advertisements:. Site Search: RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams