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The Canadian Champion, Tuesday, May 1, 2001- 21 «Spartan softballers pound Nelson 17-O By STEVE LeBLANC The Champion Well, at leasi it was over quickly. Thai's about the only salace Nelson's girls softball squad could take away from an aftemoon massacre at the hands; af host E.C. Drury Thursday. Inside an hour ai Lions Sport Park, the perennial powerhouse Spartans scored the maximum allotted seven runs in the third and fourth innings on the way t0 mercying the tharoughly outclassed visiiors 17-O in season-opening play. The game was called after five frames - not soon enough, though, for the highly inferior Lords. Drury scored early and often in the lopsided whitewash while enjoy- ing a near perfect per- formance on the mound from veteran hurler Lindsay Harrald - who gave up jusi one measly hit and fanned half-a- dozen batters ihrough four innings. Closing ihinga oui for the viciors - who'll be looking for a retum trip ta the regional finals ihis ht spring - was Amee Phol' A May. DuysA Offensively, Tasha things out ar Leslie highlighted the Thursday's 17 Photo by GRAHAM PAINE -Taking one for the team E.C. Drury's Kourtney Rich (4) reacts to a high-impact collision after heading the bail against Milton District Mustang Christie Henderson during senior girls soccer play at MD Wednesday. Spartans Heather Arbuckie and Kelsie Leaman scored ln a 2-1 victory over the hasts. Erin Beal made the ione depasit for the 'Stangs. day with an inside-ihe- park home mun that also scored Harrold. This sparked a seven-run third-inning assauli that was matched one inning later by the explosive Spartans. Just about every E.C. player cantributed ta the blowout, including rookie tirat base- man Candice Anderson - who finished the day with three RBI and made aIl three outs in the ihird. The Jamieson sisters - Anne and Marion - alsa had multi-RBI efforts, as did May and Jenn Williams. to b, mai A number of passed balîs and wilId pitch- es put local runners into scoring position and further fueled the scoring surge - Drury's biggesi since a 27-1 annihilation over Acton lasi year. The Spartans made only a couple of errors in the shutout viciory - certainly a respectable total for such a windy suter- noon. With jusi about everyone back from lasi year's team, Drury stands a excellent chance of making a second straighi Halton championship appear- ance. Their bid towards that end continues Thursday aftemnoon when îhey iravel to Burlington's Notre Dame High. Meanwhile, Bishop Reding kicked off ils season on a positive note by toppling Oakville's Loyola Hawks 5-1 Thursday at home. A four-run sixth inning - punctuated by Lerah Scott's bases- clearing double - paved the way to viciory for the Royals. Eaming the win with by GRAHAM PAINE three innings of one-run ae May closesl bail was Amanda the mound in Robichaud. Other RBI 0 ViCtOflJ. were recorded by Carolyn Coates and Melissa Sheppard. The Milton District Mustangs weren't so fortuate on opening day, as ihey loti pitcher Jenne Taylor ta a shoulder injury and bast 14-7 ta the visiting Acton Redmen. Seven runs againsi in the fifth inning proved ta be MD's undoing. The 'Stangs look ta square their record today at hame againsi Oakville's Iroquois Ridge, while BR is at Oakvýille's Q.E. Park. Bath games stant at about 3:15 pr.