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By Andy States
Digital Sports Content Manager

As they hustled into the dugout following the top of the sixth inning in Wednesday's 2A South semfinal against Hammond, McDonough's Stacy Tiscione knew that it was time to get something done.

"It was late in the game," Tiscione said. "We went into the dugout knowing that something needed to happen that inning."

Something did. Tiscione laced a one-out single into center field -- the only hit of the game -- to set the table. Mitchell followed with a walk, and Sam Kruemmel dropped a bunt on the first-base side of the mound the following at-bat. The subsuqent throw was off the mark and both McDonough runners came around to score.

Mitchell then calmly went out in the seventh and set the visiting Golden Bears down in order to complete a 17-strikeout perfect game in the top-seeded Rams' 2-0 win. McDonough is scheduled to host Gwynn Park at 4 p.m. on Friday for the regional championship.

"Coming into the dugout before that inning, we said, 'let's show these people that it's a team. It's not one individual,'" said Mitchell after her third perfect game of the season.

While Hammond (15-3) never had a runner on base, McDonough (16-0) put a runner in scoring position in the first, third and fourth innings. But the Rams were still without a base hit entering the sixth. Hammond senior pitcher Stephanie Speierman, who broke the state's career strikeout mark earlier in the week, pitched out of any potential trouble and struck out eight through five innings.  But then came the sixth.

After Tiscione and Mitchell reached safely, Kruemmel knew what her job was.

"I just got the sign from [Coach Julie Snavely] and I knew that I had to get the bunt down," she said.

Kruemmel did, and the resultant play proved to be the difference. The win marked the third consecutive postseason meeting between the two programs that have seen McDonough come out on top, though the first two meetings were played at Hammond. And, as has been the case in the previous meetings, it came down to which team made the first mistake.

"That's the way it's been the last three times we've played, and they've come out on top," Hammond coach Richard Pond said. "Our girls were really pumped to come out here and do something down here.

"We were going to try to return the favor, but it didn't quite work out that way."

Speierman surrendered just the one hit, walked five and struck out 12. But Mitchell's perfect, 17-strikeout effort won the battle. The seventh inning ended with a pop-up to second base and a grounder to third for the final two outs -- the only inning the entire game where Hammond managed to put the ball in play twice.

"[Mitchell] is fantastic," Pond said. "She didn't allow us to get any hits at all. She was the best pitcher out there today."

Through two postseason games, Mitchell has struck out 35 batters as the Rams have rolled to shutout victories over Marriotts Ridge and Hammond. But there was a little added focus on Wednesday's matchup, according to Mitchell.

"We knew it was going to be a tough game," she said. "The past few years it's always been tough against them. You're not going to get line shots against Stephanie."

McDonough, which finished as the 2A state runner-up a year ago, will attempt to earn its second consecutive state semifinal berth with Friday's game against Gwynn Park. Entering that game, the Rams have allowed only one run against all season.

"One more game, you don't want to lose your last game," Mitchell said. "Hopefully we can keep winning."

McDonough 2, Hammond 0
H    0 0 0  0 0 0  0 - 0 0 1
M    0 0 0  0 0 2  x - 2 1 0
WP: Mitchell, LP: Speierman

astates@digitalsports.com