Worth County lived to fight another day as Delaney Davidson struck out 13 Albany batters and the Tigers held off a late Warrior rally to beat Albany 6-4 in the opening round of district action in Stanberry. The Tigers jumped on Albany early, plating three runs, and made it stand up for the rest of the evening.
After Albany went down in order in the first, they pitched Morgan Combs against the Tigers. She had a slow delivery, but made up for it by working really quickly, which meant that she was able to pitch sometimes before Tiger batters were ready. But on the other hand, she fought the strike zone and walked several batters throughout the evening; her wildness led to some Tiger runs.
Worth County's first four batters reached safely in the first inning as Brooke Adams reached on an error as Combs bobbled a grounder. Brooke Gilland walked after a long battle with Combs and Amanda Downing was hit by a pitch. Combs was wild all night; she would hit four Tiger batters during the evening. Ashley Reynolds walked on four pitches to force in a run. Delaney Davidson grounded for what was an apparent single, but Downing tangled with the shortstop and was forced out at third; Brooke Gilland scored on the play. Ashley Reynolds came home on a wild pitch for Worth County's third run of the inning.
Erin Teel walked to lead off the second for Albany and went to second on a passed ball and third on a stolen base. But Delaney Davidson struck out Maisie Yeager, Paige McGinley, and Brooke Smith to get out of the inning. Worth County went down in order in their half of the second, but Davidson struck out the side in the third. With one out in the bottom of the third, Ashley Reynolds walked on a 3-2 count on a close call, but Delaney Davidson struck out and Tonya Troutwine grounded out to keep it at 3-0 after three innings.
The Tigers got the first two outs of the fourth easily enough as Brooke Gilland made a running catch of Thea Sagun's pop fly behind second and Melissa Abreu grounded out to Tonya Troutwine. But Brooke Gilland struggled from the shortstop position as she threw Erin Teel's grounder away and then overcompensated on the next play, throwing Maisie Yeager's grounder in the dirt for another error. Teel and Yeager went to second and third on a wild pitch and the tying run was at the plate, but Delaney Davidson got a called third strike against Paige McGinley on the outside corner to end the inning.
Worth County got a two-out rally to score two more in the fourth. Rebecca Moore was hit by a pitch. Bailey McPike forced her and second and Kacey Smyser flied out to right for the second out. McPike then took off for second and was safe when the throw to shortstop Erin Teel was in the dirt and hit her in the face. Brooke Adams then won a long battle with Combs and drew a walk after a 2-2 count. Brooke Gilland then hit a line drive down the left field line. Left fielder Chantelle Berger tried for a diving catch but missed it and the center fielder had to go get it as Gilland made it to third for a triple. McPike and Adams scored on the play to make it 5-0.
Combs' wildness continued in the fifth inning as she plunked Ashley Reynolds to start the inning. Delaney Davidson forced Reynolds at second and Tonya Troutwine forced Davidson, but Combs plunked Rebecca Moore for her second hit batter of the inning and fourth of the game. But Moore left first too soon and was called out for the third out and Worth County could not take advantage.
Rebecca Moore's troubles were not over as Davidson had an apparent strikeout of Chantelle Berger and Moore, thinking she had tagged out Berger, held the ball. But the umpire never made the call and Berger reached first on a dropped third strike. Thea Sagun walked and then Davidson muffed a grounder to load the bases. Berger then scored on a wild pitch for Albany's first run. Erin Teel walked for Albany's fourth consecutive baserunner to reach, but then Davidson settled down and struck out Maisie Yeager on a called third strike and Paige McGinley as well. Brooke Smith grounded out to Troutwine to end the inning to keep Worth County up 5-1.
The Tigers got another two-out run as Brooke Adams beat out a bunt down the third base line and went to second on a passed ball as catcher McKenzie Pigg bobbled a pitch. Brooke Gilland hit a pop fly to left; again Chantelle Berger went for the shoestring catch and again she came up empty as Adams scored on the play and Brooke Gilland took second on the throw home. Amanda Downing singled and Ashley Reynolds walked to chase Combs, but Katie Thomas came on to strike out Delaney Davidson to keep it at 6-1.
Albany made their final run in the seventh as Davidson began to tire. Ashley Smith singled up the middle and took second and third on wild pitches. McKenzie Pigg walked and stole second; Smith scored on a wild pitch as Pigg took third. Chantelle Berger struck out but Rebecca Moore dropped the third strike; she threw out Berger at first, but Pigg scored on the play to make it 6-3. Davidson continued to fight the strike zone, walking Thea Sagun and Melissa Abreu, who took second and third on a wild pitch. That brought the tying run to the plate. Erin Teel grounded out to Ashley Reynolds at first to score Sagun to make it 6-4 and then Maisie Yeager hit an apparent run-scoring single to right. But Tiger rightfielder Paige McPike charged the grounder and threw to first to retire Yeager for the final out.
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