North Harrison’s baseball team gained a split in bitterly cold playing conditions that were not fit for man or beast. What was promised as a nice day with temperatures near 50 turned into a bitterly cold afternoon with temperatures well below that by 4 pm, which was gametime. By the time all three games were over, the temperature had plummeted to 32 degrees, with wind chills well below that. There was no respite under the shelter of the roof, as the winds were coming in directly from the east. Girls softball standout Payton Craig said she could not recall playing in chillier playing conditions. North Harrison’s girls softball team beat Worth County 9-2 in freezing conditions back in 1993 during their run to their State Championship.
In these kinds of conditions, North Harrison had their chances against Pattonsburg, but fell 10-4 in the opener. Pattonsburg fought back from a 6-0 hole against expansion team South Harrison and walked off with a 7-6 win in the second game before North Harrison overcame the miserable conditions to beat South Harrison 6-0 in the nightcap.
In the bottom of the first against Pattonsburg, North Harrison loaded the bases with nobody out, but couldn’t get anyone across as Collin Castleberry lined into a double play and Timothy Heintz struck out. In the second, they got baserunners on second and third with nobody out, but got consecutive strikeouts to get to two outs. Grant Claycomb and Brett Emig walked to force in a run in that frame to tie it at 1.
All hell broke loose in the fourth as Pattonsburg used four walks, three hits, and two errors to score seven runs to put the game away. Brett Emig got a rare highlight for the Shamrocks. With two outs in North Harrison's half, he hit a three run home run into the wind and over the left field scoreboard.
North Harrison used four different pitchers, Tyler Lundy, Brett Emig, Grant Claycomb, and Samuel Mejia. Collin Castleberry, Tyler Lundy, and Timothy Heintz all made catches in the field. Heintz made a highlight film play worthy of a better fate as he made a diving stop of Cole Dilley’s would-be hit from the third base spot, bounced it to Logan Craig at first, and Craig scooped it out on the hop only for the umpire to blow the call and call it safe.
The nightcap was much better for the Shamrocks as Grant Claycomb reached on an error to start the game as the second baseman bobbled it and Brett Emig doubled to left center to bring him in to start the scoring. Logan Craig singled to right center after Emig had stolen third to make it 2-0 and stole second. Collin Castleberry reached on a dropped fly ball and Craig and Castleberry pulled off a double steal of second and third. Timothy Heintz walked and Logan Craig came in for what should have been a rundown play after a passed ball.
But the catcher, after Craig broke back for third, threw it away trying to return it to the pitcher, and Craig scored. Castleberry later scored on another wild pitch to make it 4-0.
In the second, Collin Castleberry walked to force in Grant Claycomb, and Brett Emig scored on a wild pitch to make it 6-0. It might have been worse had the umpires not been as anxious as everyone to leave and started ringing up everything close.
North Harrison saved their big guns for the South Harrison game, pitching Collin Castleberry for two innings and Timothy Heintz for the third. They combined on a one hitter, striking out eight batters. Castleberry pulled off a successful 3-1 play with Logan Craig, who snared a ball hit hard to his right at first base and Collin was there for the putout.
Last year, the Shamrocks got off to an inauspicious start; they had every right to expect better on St. Patrick’s Day, but dropped an 11-1 run rule game to Peyton Coleman and North Nodaway in Hopkins. But they got better as the season progressed, getting their first shutout in school history and setting a school record with 12 runs in a 12-0 win over Pattonsburg in districts to clinch a winning season. They then threw a scare into Northeast Nodaway before falling 7-6 in the district semifinals to finish with an 8-7 season.
This year, they will host North Nodaway Friday at 5 pm, weather permitting.
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