Dobson gets win No. 500 for coach



The Arizona Republic, Monday, March 17, 1998 by Craig Morgan
Dobson Coach Nancy Ellis picked up wins No. 499 and 500 Monday at the Marcos de Niza/McClintock Invitational Softball Tournament.

Everything Dobson skipper Nancy Ellis had learned in her 30 seasons of coaching softball told her not to make this move.
The Mustangs were trailing Marcos de Niza, 2-1, in the Marcos de Niza/McClintock Invitational Softball Tournament. Dobson had runners at first and second base with one out in the sixth inning. Bri Broadway was due up, but Ellis had an inkling to insert reserve Kristi Kruger as a pinch hitter.
"It's not a really smart coaching move to put somebody in in the last (at-bat), because they haven't seen the pitcher," Ellis said.
She did it anyway. And the move paid off.
Kruger laid down a textbook sacrifice bunt to move the runners into scoring position, and Elizabeth Harmon followed with a two-run single to lift Dobson to a dramatic 3-2 win and give Ellis a victory Monday at Marcos, her 500th career coaching win.
"That's what happens when you get old," Ellis reasoned afterward. "Life finally start working for you."
Ellis now sports a 500-242 record, split between Orange High (Calif.), Mesa and Dobson.
Win No. 499 came earlier in the day when Dobson topped Gilbert, 2-0, as Kristen Swetel pitched a five-hitter, striking out seven and walking none.
But you can put the retirement plans on hold. Ellis plans to be around at least another decade.
When asked how old she anticipated being when she recorded win No. 1,000, Ellis snapped back, "I'll be about your age."
Ellis is still quite sharp, and her Mustangs were too Monday.
After allowing a two-run single to Marcos' Brandi Baker in the first inning, Swetel (10-1) settled into a groove. The sophomore allowed one Marcos hit the rest of the way while fanning four and walking none.
Marcos (2-8) advanced only one runner as far as second base after the first and had no base runners after the third.
"We've been having trouble with the bats all year long," Marcos Coach Ron Cosner said. "We hit the ball and it doesn't go anywhere and when we hit the ball hard it goes at people. We hit a lot of 'at-em' balls."
Dobson (10-1) had its own troubles at the plate, managing only four hits against Padres starter Katie Harlan through the first five innings.
The Mustangs sliced the lead to 2-1 in the fourth on an RBI single from Brandi Smith.
In the Dobson sixth, Harlan opened by fanning Lauren Galusha and then got Mary Geiogamah to ground to the left side. But the Padres' first baseman couldn't hold the relay and Smith followed with a single to start the fateful rally.
"I like Nancy," Cosner said afterward, trying to remain upbeat. "I don't particulary like to be remembered this way, but 499 other people got beat by her, so whatever."

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Created by: Coach Ellis 9.3.96 ... Last update: 3.17.98