Worth County went 2-1 in their first trip to Eagleville last week, falling only to last year’s district champion North Harrison in the preseason jamboree. The Tigers returned to North Harrison Saturday, won their first game, and then dropped a pair of one-run games to finish fourth at the tournament.
Worth County 3, South Harrison 0
Worth County shut out South Harrison in the first game of the jamboree. In recent years, Worth County has reversed a long trend of losing against the Bulldogs, and the trend continued this year. Two years ago, Worth County needed a three run home run from Dominique Findley in the top of the seventh over the 155 foot sign in Eagleville, but it didn’t matter this time as they tagged South Harrison with three runs in the first.
Braidy Hunt led off the inning by beating out an infield hit. Anna Gladstone single down the third base line and went to second when South Harrison unsuccessfully tried to retire Hunt at third. Kennedy Galanakis reached on a dropped throw by the first baseman, and Anna Gladstone, with her daredevil baserunning style, came all the way home from second without a play as Worth County went up 2-0. Galanakis was out stealing, but Jill Hardy walked and stole a base, Haley Hunt singled to center and stole a base, and Merrideth Spiers reached on a dropped pop fly to score Hardy to make it 3-0.
South Harrison had baserunners on right and left, but couldn’t score them. In the second, Milaynie May reached on a single off the short wall in left, and Kennedi Virtue reached on a scratch hit. Brooklyn Ellis popped out to Kennedy Galanakis at first. Josie Hurt singled, but it wasn’t deep enough to score a run, and the bases were loaded. Jerika Price hit what looked like a base it to score one and maybe two, but Braidy Hunt made a shoestring catch in left to keep anyone from scoring. Brooklyn Virtue hit a grounder that rolled under pitcher Haley Hunt’s legs, but Kristin New was there at second to throw her out for the first out.
Braidy Hunt, pitching the third, walked the bases loaded with two outs, but Ellis grounded out to end the threat.
Worth County 10, Mercer 1
Pitted against the team that thrashed them in districts last year, Worth County exacted revenge even though most of Mercer’s players from that team are gone. Anna Gladstone led off the game with a screamer off the right field wall. Normally, on the short field at Eagleville, that would only be enough for a single. But it didn’t matter with Gladstone running the bases with her speed and daredevil style as she made up her mind to go to third and made it. Worth County manufactured a run as once again, Gladstone defied the odds and came home on a wild pitch. It didn’t matter that the short field at Eagleville also had a short backstop; Gladstone was going and nothing would stop her from scoring to make it 1-0.
Worth County tacked on four more runs in the inning as Braidy Hunt and Jill Hardy walked, Haley reached on a dropped fly ball lost in the sun to load the bases, and Kaylee McElvain walked to score a run. Morgan Beagle, despite being a freshman, showed she was ready for the varsity level as she got one of several solid hits for the Tigers last week; her single scored Hardy. Abbi Caddenhead walked to force in one run and Allison Larison reached on an error to put the Tigers up 5-0 after one. It would have been more, but preseason jamborees are limited to five runs.
The Tigers added five more in the third as Kaylee McElvain started off with a walk and took second on a wild pitch. Morgan Beagle connected again, singling to left and advancing to second on an error as McElvain scored. Merrideth Spiers walked and Anna Spainhower walked to load the bases for Allison Larison; she hit a slow roller down the third base line that stayed fair; everyone was safe and Beagle scored. Once again, Anna Gladstone struck for the Tigers as she doubled off the right field wall to score two. Braidy Hunt walked and Jill Hardy singled in Gladstone to make it 10-0 after three. Boston Boswell singled home Rayne Kost for the lone Mercer run.
North Harrison 5, Worth County 3
Worth County played last year’s district champs in the nightcap, and it took on all the intensity of last year’s battles between the two squads in both basketball and softball.
All hell threatened to break loose in the top of the first as Payton Craig led off with a home run for North Harrison, and they plated five runs before the run rule ended the inning.
But Worth County was saved by the bell and began battling back the rest of the game. Morgan Beagle tripled to the wall in left center in the second, but was doubled off the bag to end the threat.
Against Emma Craig, Worth County finally got going in the third inning. Braidy Hunt had a good battle with her before finally grounding out; Abbi Caddenhead walked and Jill Hardy was plunked. Megan Cassavaugh reached safely as Caddenhead beat the force attempt at third, loading the bases.
That triggered a conference at the mound, and whatever Shamrocks’ coach Brandon Craig said to his freshman hurler must have settled her down, as she struck out Anna Gladstone on three pitches. Kennedy Galanakis reached on an error to score one and then Haley Hunt hit a screamer fair past first down the right field line. Two runs scored, Galanakis was safe at third, and Hunt took off to second on the throw and was safe on a close play.
It was up to Allison Larison, who got into a 2-2 count with Emma Craig. She hit two hard hit balls, squibbed a high pitch foul, and then finally grounded out to her to end the threat and the game. But Worth County showed their ability to battle strong teams early.
Worth County 6, East Harrison 1
Worth County started off the North Harrison Tournament Saturday with the Bobcats. East Harrison had a strong pitcher and a strong shortstop and neither team could break through until the third inning. Finally, Anna Gladstone, with one out in the third, singled up the middle and stole second. Braidy Hunt doubled off the center field wall and then came home on a pair of wild pitches to put Worth County up 2-0 after three.
The Tigers added to their lead in the fourth when Haley Hunt reached on an error and stole second. Megan Cassavaugh doubled her in to make it 3-0 off the left field wall.
Worth County broke it open in the fifth when Anna Gladstone shot one up the middle for a single and stole second. Braidy Hunt doubled into the right center gap to bring her home. Jill Hardy popped out, but Kennedy Galanakis singled to score Hunt. Haley Hunt beat out an infield hit and Merrideth Spiers whistled a single past short into left for another run. East Harrison scored their lone run in the bottom of the inning when Camie Vaughn hit a home run just fair inside the left field foul pole.
Princeton 2, Worth County 1
Worth County scored one in the bottom of the first, made it stand up for a long time, but couldn’t close out the Blue Tigers in their second game. Anna Gladstone singled up the middle, went to second on a wild pitch, to third on Braidy Hunt’s groundout, and came home on Jill Hardy’s sac fly. But Worth County could not manage another run against the loaded Princeton squad, with six seniors listed in the program. Worth County hit the ball hard all game, but usually right at people.
Worth County made some strong defensive plays of their own in the game. In the third, Kristin New made a sliding catch at second to take a hit away from Kylie Willett. The Tigers had every chance to add to their lead in the fourth, but missed out when Kennedy Galanakis’ blow, which had home run depth, hooked just foul.
The Tigers clung by their fingernails in the fifth and just barely hung on. With one out, Willett walked and went to second on a wild pitch. Lacie Lewis grounded to Megan Cassavaugh at short, and the ball got away for what would have been a run. But the umpire ruled interference, and nobody advanced as Lewis was called out. Lindsey Batson singled to Anna Gladstone in center, but her throw home kept the tying run from scoring before Payton Goodin popped out to end the threat.
Princeton finally broke through in the sixth as Vivian Allen walked. Jasmine Allen struck out, but Katie Milner was hit by a pitch. Megan Hydorn’s drive was just over Anna Gladstone’s head in center, and the tying run came into score, leaving runners at second and third. Lauren Cox, trying to put her team in front, chased a high pitch and struck out, and then Kylie Willett came up again and hit a screamer down the right field line which should have been fair but was called foul before she walked to load the bases. Braidy Hunt caught Lacie Lewis looking to keep the game tied at 1.
Worth County had a chance to get some baserunners in the sixth, but Braidy Hunt’s screamer was right at Lacie Lewis in center, while Jill Hardy’s line drive that could have been extra bases was right at Willett at short.
The Tigers got two runners on base in the seventh, to no avail. Merrideth Spiers and Megan Cassavaugh hit back to back singles and Kaylee McElvain bunted them over to second and third. But Abbi Caddenhead struck out and then Anna Gladstone’s soft line drive up the middle, which looked headed for a base hit, was caught by the second baseman for a shoestring catch to end the inning.
The International Tiebreaker was in effect after that, which means that each team starts with a runner on second to start the inning. Princeton got a run home when Jasmine Allen advanced Katie Milner to third on a bunt single that died in front of the plate with no play. Hydorn grounded out to short; there was no play at the plate, and Princeton went up 2-1. Worth County could not answer with Anna Gladstone on second as Braidy Hunt popped out and Jill Hardy and Kennedy Galanakis grounded out to end the game.
North Nodaway 5, Worth County 4
The third place game was similar to the North Harrison game in that Worth County didn’t really lose, they ran out of time. After they dug themselves into a 4-0 hole after two, Worth County finally got a run back in the third when Braidy Hunt singled to right.
Kennedy Galanakis and Merrideth Spiers walked and Haley Hunt’s Texas Leaguer dropped in to make it 4-1. North Nodaway went up 5-1 after three, but then Kristin New shot one past Kandace Damgar at short to give Worth County a chance in the fourth. Braidy Hunt grounded out to advance her, and Jill Hardy’s single to right brought her in and made it 5-2. Merrideth Spiers doubled off Audrey Trimble after catching a pop fly in the fifth to keep the score there.
Merrideth Spiers shot one up the middle and Haley Hunt hit another Texas Leaguer to bring up Megan Cassavaugh. She flew out to Taylor Combs in right, but both runners advanced on the play. Allison Larison squibbed one in front of the plate; there was no play and the bases were loaded. Abbi Caddenhead hit a pop fly into right that dropped in and two runs scored. Anna Gladstone beat out a squib down the third base line and loaded the bases with one out. But Braidy Hunt grounded into a force at the plate for the second out.
Sometimes, coaches have a good sixth sense of who will do well in a certain situation. Coach Tiffany Bliley sent up freshman Anna Spainhower to try to bring in two runs and put Worth County in front. She did her job, hitting a screamer down the line that looked headed for extra bases. The only problem was, North Nodaway third baseman Kristin Herndon made a game-saving catch that turned out to be the winner.
Worth County looked like they were headed in front after five; North Nodaway got two runners on base via a bad hop single and an error. Shea Dailey, who had hit well for North Nodaway all day, popped to Abbi Caddenhead at second for the second out. But with Kristin Herndon batting, the 90 minute time limit, which was in force for the tournament for all games except for the championship, was called and Worth County had run out of time.
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