Coming off a 10-0 loss to Jefferson and facing a team that took the Eagles to the wire last year in postseason, the Tigers had every reason to be down. But they took a high-powered Gallatin team to 10 innings before falling to the Bulldogs 6-4. "Coming off a tough loss, we really played ball out there," said Coach Todd Simmons on his team’s ability to play with the powerhouse teams of the area. "I was worried about coming off a tough loss, but we played with a lot more confidence tonight," he said. He said that they struggled with it early, but that it grew as the game went on.
Worth County and Gallatin are no strangers to playing extra inning games against each other; this was their third extra inning game against each other in four years. In 2005, Worth County and Gallatin played a 16 inning marathon before Tiger standout Tiffany Troutwine hit a two-run home run over the short fence in Gallatin for the winning runs; Gallatin returned the favor by beating the Tigers on their home field in extra innings in 2006.
Gallatin looked like they would follow Jefferson’s lead and blow Worth County right out of the field in the top of the first as Ashley Owens hit a double over Keely Cook’s head in left field and stole third, Courtney Ray walked and stole second, and Shelby Chadwick doubled over Cook’s head in left field and then went to third on a wild pitch after Maggie Strange stuck out. But then Breanne Brammer hit a grounder to Megan McClain at third; she threw to first and Chadwick broke for home. But Chadwick was thrown out at the plate for the double play; that play seemed to boost the confidence of the Tigers.
Worth County went in order in the bottom of the first and then had two outs with nobody on as the Tigers were having trouble against a fast pitcher. But then Brooke Adams singled down the right field line, Tonya Troutwine hit a double over the right fielder’s head for a double, and Adams came home on a wild pickoff throw to cut Gallatin’s lead to 2-1.
Gallatin went scoreless in the top of the third thanks to an over the shoulder catch by Brooke Gilland on a play in which she ran to the edge of the grass to snare the pop fly. In the bottom of the third, Jessica Borey tripled down the left field line with one out, but Megan McClain popped out and Brooke Gilland grounded out to strand her there.
In the top of the fourth, Tonya Troutwine made an over the shoulder catch of a pop fly as Gallatin was unable to score in that inning. In the bottom of the fourth, Keely Cook hit a rocket to right field for a single. Ashley Reynolds forced her at second, but Brooke Adams bunted and was safe at first as Gallatin threw it away and Reynolds went to third. Tonya Troutwine was safe at first on an error as second baseman Rebecca Mott bobbled a grounder and Reynolds scored. But Delaney Davidson popped out trying to bunt and Troutwine was doubled off first to end the fourth.
In the fifth, Delaney Davidson struck out the first two Gallatin batters, but Ashley Owens struck again; this time, she hit a shot off Megan McClain’s glove that rolled away from her and Owens was in standing up with a double. She went to third on a wild pitch; Courtney Ray walked and stole second; Owens scored on a wild pitch. Strange then singled to left to score Ray, but Tiger catcher Jessica Borey threw her out stealing to prevent any further damage.
Amanda Downing flied out to start the bottom of the fifth and Borey got down in the count 0-2 to Gallatin pitcher Carly Boyd. But Borey fought back as she fouled one pitch after another out of play; she finally walked after a 12-pitch at bat. Megan McClain reached on an error as second baseman Rebecca Mott bobbled the grounder; Brooke Gilland laid down a bunt and was safe as first baseman Wren Tolen dropped the throw and Borey scored all the way from second to cut the Gallatin lead to 4-3. McClain went to third on the error. Brooke Gilland stole second and the Gallatin catcher tried to throw her out stealing despite the first and third situation, but her throw went into center field and McClain scored to tie it at 4-4.
With two outs in the top of the sixth, Boyd hit a line shot off Tonya Troutwine’s glove for a single, but Wren Tolen popped out to Ashley Reynolds for the third out; Tolen collided with Reynolds after the play, and Reynolds was badly shaken up, but she stayed in the game.
Worth County went down in order in the bottom of the sixth and Gallatin went down in order in the top of the seventh; Tonya Troutwine made a running catch sprinting into foul territory of a Ashley Owens popup. Megan McClain reached on an error with two outs in the bottom of the seventh as thirdbaseman Courtney Ray bobbled a grounder, but she was thrown out stealing to end the seventh and send the game into extra innings.
Ray slapped a single down the first base line, and two groundouts advanced her to third. But Nicole Everman missed a chance to put Gallatin ahead when her sharp grounder past third that would have been extra bases went just foul, and she grounded out to short for the third out of the inning.
Worth County loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the eighth as Brooke Gilland reached on an error as Ray bobbled yet another grounder, Ashley Reynolds was grazed by a pitch, and Adams grounded into a fielder’s choice and Gilland beat the force play at third. But Tonya Troutwine’s fly ball to left was not enough to score Gilland from third, and Gilland was picked off third to end the inning.
After Troutwine snagged Boyd’s soft line drive, Tolen walked; however, Savannah Butcher grounded out to first and Kaddie Mott was caught looking to end the ninth. Worth County went down in order in the bottom of the ninth and Owens led off with a single past Troutwine at second and stole second. Courtney Ray popped out, but Strange hit a sharp grounder that Brooke Gilland was able to knock down, but there was no play anywhere and Gallatin had runners on first and third with one out. Chadwick lined out to Troutwine, who tried to throw to third to double off Owens, but the throw got away, Owens was safe at home on a close play, and Gallatin took the lead at 5-4. Nicole Everman’s pop fly single made it 6-4. Gallatin loaded the bases as Carly Boyd singled and Tolen walked, but Butcher struck out to end the inning.
Megan McClain hit a poop fly single down the right field line to lead off the bottom of the tenth, but Gilland struck out, Keely Cook grounded into a force play, and Ashley Reynolds was out on a long fly ball to right to end the game.
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