Worth County’s softball girls used a five-run third inning to move ahead of Albany, last year’s District 15 runner-up, and the Tigers held off the Warriors in the first round of Bill Hill Memorial Tournament action in Albany, winning 6-3.
Megan Cassavaugh started off the Tiger first by getting one of her longest hits ever, a triple to the wall in left with two strikes on her. Braidy Hunt hit a screamer in the gap in left that she thought was in the gap, but it was caught and she didn’t tag up in time to advance. Later, she was cut down at the plate on a grounder to short and Worth County came up empty in the first. But Braidy Hunt kept the game scoreless in the bottom of the first when she made a running catch of Gabby Newman’s drive in left field for the third out.
Worth County scored one in the second, but Albany got it right back. Kennedy Galanakis reached on an error when shortstop Gabby Newman’s throw was wide of first. It looked like she would be stranded there, as Haley Hunt flied out and Anna Spainhower popped out. But then Allison Larison’s pop fly down the left field line dropped in fair, and Megan Cassavaugh’s hard grounder got through past Riley Houts at second to score Galanakis. But Albany got it right back as shortstop Jill Hardy’s throw of Paige Brown’s grounder was in the dirt, allowing Riley Houts to score.
But it was Anna Gladstone’s blow which put Worth County on top to stay. With one out, she hit a screamer into the left field corner; the state champion in the 100 Hurdles had no trouble flying around the bases before Albany could get it in. Merrideth Spiers singled to center and went to second when the cutoff throw got away. Kennedy Galanakis struck out, but Haley Hunt singled to left to score Spiers. Albany could not get out of the inning as the next five Tigers all reached safely. Anna Spainhower singled to left to put runners on first and second. Allison Larison reached on Gabby Newman’s error when her airmailed throw allowed Spainhower and Hunt to score. Megan Cassavaugh got her third hit, a single to center to score Larison to make it 6-1.
Albany put in Riley Houts to pitch; her breaking ball, her drop ball, and her ability to change speeds anytime in the count kept Worth County off the board the rest of the way. But Albany’s efforts to get back in the game came up short. Allison Larison’s shoestring catch at second to start the third meant that only one run scored when Mickayla Martin singled and stole, Kaycee Messner walked, and Riley Houts singled to make it 6-2. Shortstop Jill Hardy got Emily Poppa out by a split second with runners on first and second to get her team out of the inning. In the fourth, Brown hit a drive into the left field gap, but Braidy Hunt made a diving catch to take extra bases away. Albany subsequently loaded the bases with one out, but only got one run home on Martin’s sac fly. Pitcher Haley Hunt won a long battle with Kaycee Messner to strike her out to get out of the third.
Worth County lost to North Harrison 6-1 in the semifinal round and couldn’t hold a 6-1 lead against Gallatin in the seventh; last year’s District 13 champs timed and crushed the ball to tie it up in the seventh at 6 and win it 7-6 in the seventh.
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