Payton Adwell picked up her first high school win as a pitcher, 26-21 over Braymer in a walk and error-filled donnybrook similar to Worth County's 41-29 win over North Nodaway a few years ago. It was the nightcap of a tripleheader that featured one junior high game and two back to back high school games Thursday night. Following the game, seniors Claire Andrews, Kristen Andrews, Katie Mullock, and Brianna Fletchall were recognized for their accomplishments over the last four years. They played their last games on the home softball field. While the night belonged to the seniors, it was a freshman pitcher who bailed the Tigers out of the track meet.
Regular pitcher Rikky Hunt, who had just pitched the whole game against Northeast Nodaway, started the Braymer game but loaded the bases with nobody out and threw two wild pitches to score two Braymer runs. Kristen Andrews came in to pitch, but hit two consecutive batters and gave up a single to let in another run. Rikky came back in and settled down enough to get out of the inning thanks to a play at the plate, a caught popup from Payton, and a screamer headed into center that was snared by Hunt in a reflex action. But Worth County was faced with a 5-0 deficit before they could even come up to bat.
The Tigers got the runs back thanks to four straight walks by Braymer with the bases loaded along with a wild pitch that scored Kristen and an infield single from Katie Mullock. That left Worth County up 6-5. But the carousel of walks and errors continued in the second and third innings. Rikky ran out of gas in the third with the bases loaded and nobody out, forcing Coach Dave Gilland to use Payton Adwell. It would have been worse had it not been for Sidney Troutwine doubling a runner off first after making a running catch of a pop fly in the second to end that frame or Payton knowing exactly what to do in a passed ball situation and rushing home to tag a runner out at the plate despite not having pitched much varsity ball before. She tagged out two runners at the plate on that situation.
The game threatened to get ugly despite the plays as Worth County was down 16-9 after the top of the third, but they got several runs back as Kristen Andrews scored on a wild pitch, Claire Andrews singled to right to score Katie Mullock, and Madison Cassavaugh pulled off a perfect bunt single. The runner on second got into a pickle, coming to third and getting into a rundown between second and third with a runner ahead of her; however, Braymer threw the ball away and that allowed a run to score. Brianna Fletchall singled in another run and another scored on a wild pitch as Worth County cut it to 16-14 after three.
Payton Adwell, after a rocky start, finally settled down and started throwing strikes as Claire made a catch into the lights in left field to give her more confidence to throw strikes. Worth County held Braymer to one run in the frame and caught them in the bottom of the fourth. Madison Cassavaugh's pop fly single to center scored a run. Brianna reached on a fielder's choice as Adrian Fletchall scored, and Payton reached on a dropped fly ball in right that scored two more. That put Worth County in the lead at 18-17.
Braymer fought back to tie it in the fifth at 18, but Payton Adwell tagged the lead run out at the plate after a wild pitch had gotten away. Worth County nearly put it away on the 10-run rule as they batted around and scored eight to take control. The inning was highlighted by Kristen Andrews' three-run double. Payton Adwell added an RBI single, Katie Mullock scored on a wild pitch, Madison Cassavaugh grounded out to score a run, Katie Mullock grounded out to score another, and Quinci Schottel, back from a broken finger much faster than expected, grounded into a fielder's choice that scored a run.
Rikky Hunt was rested enough that she could pitch again. Braymer tried to get back in the game, scoring three runs. But after a dropped fly ball in right, Worth County threw a runner out at the plate to kill the rally and stay ahead 26-21. The Tigers failed to score in the bottom of the sixth, but Rikky got stronger and got some help in the field. Second baseman Kristen Andrews made a diving stop of a grounder headed up the middle, Adrian Fletchall, who had lost one in the lights earlier, caught a fly ball, and Rikky helped herself out by snaring a line drive for the final out.
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