Worth County overcame a hitting barrage by Albany, weathered a home run from Gabby Newman, and claimed the consolation trophy Saturday 7-5. It was their second win in three tries against Albany; both their wins have been in tournaments, while Albany won the GRC matchup. It was their fifth win of the year and first two-game winning streak of the year.
The Tigers had trouble all year winning close games, but this time, they were able to hang on with timely hitting and fielding and overcame some mistakes. Like their 4-1 conference loss, Worth County was pitted against pitcher Riley Houts, who mixed up pitches and velocity effectively. But this time, Worth County was much more able to tag her with hits and didn’t chase after her breaking pitches out of the zone as much.
Albany came through to the Consolation Finals following a 5-1 loss to North Andrew, in which the Cardinals teed off on them in impressive fashion. They then proceeded to lay a 12 run smackdown on Northeast Nodaway in the third on their way to a 19-4 consolation semifinal win.
The Warriors got three straight hits in the bottom of the first with one out, but failed to score. With the bases loaded, Tiger pitcher Haley Hunt stuck out Emily Poppa and got Kaycee Messner to ground out to the mound to get out of the inning.
The Tigers struck first when back to back doubles in the second from Anna Gladstone and Haley Hunt brought then their first run. Merrideth Spiers reached on shortstop Gabby Newman’s error, but left fielder Messner elected to throw home to keep Hunt at third as Spiers took second. Jill Hardy hit a grounder to Newman, but this time, she cut down Hunt at the plate as Spiers held at second. Allison Larison grounded out to short to advance them to second and third and Abbi Caddenhead singled to left to score Spiers to make it 2-0.
Albany got the runs back in the bottom of the second. Sierra Anthony doubled off the left field wall with one out. Jaidan Batson struck out, but Mickayla Martin singled and went to second on the throw home as Anthony scored. Third baseman Merrideth Spiers’ throw of Riley Houts’ grounder was in the dirt as Martin scored to tie it at 2-2.
Worth County moved right back in front as Braidy Hunt tripled over Martin’s head in center to the deepest part of the park. Kennedy Galanakis reached safely on a dropped third strike in the first. Anna Gladstone grounded to Sierra Anthony at third, who cut down Hunt at the plate for the first out. But then Haley Hunt hit a pop fly single to center to score Galanakis and move Gladstone to third. Merrideth Spiers hit a pop fly that dropped in. Hunt was forced out at second by right fielder Amber Davis, but Gladstone scored on the play to make it 4-2.
Albany could not answer in the third as Amber Davis hit a pop fly that dropped in right before it reached second baseman Allison Larison. But Larison made a diving stop and threw out Davis to take away a base hit.
Worth County used a two out rally in the fourth to raise their lead. Megan Cassavaugh’s pop fly to right center dropped in for a base hit and Braidy Hunt walked. Kennedy Galanakis singled to left and scored Cassavaugh. Braidy Hunt was caught between second and third in a rundown, but third baseman Emily Poppa’s throw got away and Hunt reached third as Galanakis took second. Hunt came home on a wild pitch to make it 6-2.
Albany chipped away in the fourth and the fifth to make things interesting. In the fourth, Paige Brown doubled off the center field wall and went to third on a wild pitch. She scored on Sierra Anthony’s groundout. In the fifth, Gabby Newman hit a solo home run directly over the scoreboard in dead center field to make it 6-4. After Amber Davis singled and the tying run came to the plate, Emily Poppa nearly had another home run as she hit a drive to the deepest part of the ballpark, but it stayed in and centerfielder Anna Gladstone was able to make the catch.
Albany got the lead run to the plate in the sixth inning. Sierra Anthony reached on third baseman Merrideth Spiers’ bobble. Jaidan Batson tried to slap her way on, but hit it right at Spiers, who forced Anthony out at second. But shortstop Jill Hardy bobbled Mickayla Martin’s grounder to bring the lead run to the plate. Riley Houts hit a shot down the right field line, but right fielder Abbi Caddenhead made a running catch for the second out. Batson and Martin took second and third on a wild pitch, and a base hit from Gabby Newman could tie it, but she flied out to Anna Gladstone to end the inning with Worth County still up 6-4.
Worth County got a badly needed insurance run in the seventh when Braidy Hunt and Kennedy Galanakis got back to back singles. Anna Gladstone struck out, but Haley Hunt singled down the left field line as Braidy Hunt scored to make it 7-4.
The Tigers’ toughest inning this year had been their last inning, and sure enough, slugger Amber Davis hit one to right center for a double to start off the Albany seventh. She took third on a wild pitch and scored on Emily Poppa’s grounder to Jill Hardy. But then Merrideth Spiers caught Kaycee Messner’s soft line drive and Paige Brown was called out on strikes for the final out of the game.
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