Danville will face Lincoln County, a 4-3 winner over Boyle County in the first semifinal, in tonight's title game. Both teams will advance to next week's 12th Region Tournament at Wayne County.
"Nobody is going to want to play Garrard County next year. They are pretty good now and they are going to have everybody back," Perry said. "Our experience helped tonight. No doubt about that. We've been so up and down all season with our focus, and we've played a ridiculous schedule for a Class A team. But we have been focused lately, and our experience definitely showed tonight."
The game matched two of the area's best pitchers - Wallace, a sophomore, and Garrard eighth-grader Jessica Speake. Wallace struck out four, walked one and gave up 10 hits. Speake struck out six, walked four, hit one and allowed eight hits. However, few balls were hit hard by either team.
"Jessica pitched well. We just didn't make some plays," Meadors said. "Chelsea is still not 100 percent (because of a knee injury). But she's still awfully good."
Perry says Wallace is not throwing as well now as she was at the end of last year because of various injuries in the last 12 months. "But she's still winning games for us," Perry said.
The Admirals (17-16) are now 12-1 when scoring four or more runs. When they score three or less runs, they are 5-15.
Potts made sure Danville got to four runs in this game. She singled, stole second and scored on Sarah Vonderbrink's hit in the first inning.
In the third, Kelli Embree was hit by a pitch and Potts reached on an infield single. Both scored when Wallace doubled to right center on a ball that Jamie Speake couldn't quite track down.
Potts singled in the fifth and scored when Wallace's ground ball got through Garrard shortstop Hagan Goldey. The Danville center fielder scored her fourth run in the seventh when she reached first on an error, went to third on Wallace's double and scored on a wild pitch before Christina Hill's single plated the final run.
Garrard (20-12) got single runs the last three innings. Kara McCane doubled in the fifth and scored on a two-out hit by Courtney Rhodus. In the sixth, Ashley Meadors reached on an error and scored on Jessica Speake's groundout to right field. Rhodus, who had three hits along with Whitney Ball, drove in Goldey in the seventh.
"Our worst-case scenario was to fall behind early like we did," Meadors said. "Then Danville just played awesome defense. For us, it just was not there defensively, and when they got a chance to score, they scored. That's how you win games."
Embree took away two hits from Garrard by throwing out runners at first base who had hit the ball into right field.
"That makes a huge difference when she can do that," Perry said. "If Chelsea is throwing hard, they are going to hit the ball to right a lot. (Embree's) starting to take chances, and the couple of plays she made were really big."
Perry also credited Hill for maintaining her poise at first base in the sixth inning. Garrard had two runners on when Kayla Isaacs hit a hard grounder to first. Hill fumbled the ball, but managed to pick it up and throw to second baseman Morgan Young covering first for the out.
"She didn't panic. If she had, Garrard would have had the bases loaded with no outs and who knows what might have happened," Perry said.
Now the Admirals hope to beat Lincoln, something they didn't do in the regular season.
"This is a big game for us. We hope to turn the tables on Lincoln, but they are playing very well. It's going to be a big test for our team," Perry said.
Chelsea Wallace and Billie Rehberg. Jessica Speake and Courtney Rhodus. W - Wallace. L- Speake. 2B - Kasie Prather (GC), Kara McCane (GC), Wallace (D) 2.
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