The Shamrocks were shorthanded, playing without Brett Emig (flu), and they had to play some people out of position. Steven Willhite came in to play center, Tyler Lundy played right, and Matthew Heintz went behind the plate to catch. Just like Northeast Nodaway against East Atchison when they played without Spencer Weir, the Shamrocks were not the same team without Emig. But they made enough plays in the field to get the win.
It threatened to be a long night after the first inning. Ross Critten walked and Brendy Vandiver sent leftfielder Lane Huitt to the warning track. Morgan McBroom forced Critten at second, only for Gage Wright to hit one just beyond the reach of centerfielder Steven Willhite to put Tri-County up 2-0.
Tri-County tried to steal this one; they sent out Gage Wright, an unorthodox thrower, to start. Wright started with his right hand behind his left ear and slung it in, which kept some batters off balance. He struck out Grant Claycomb to start the game. But then Logan Huitt hit a double to left center that sliced away from the center fielder and Logan Craig singled him over to third. Lane Huitt walked to load the bases and Wade Briggs reached on an error as shortstop Brendy Vandiver bobbled a grounder as North Harrison got one back. Brandon Hamilton was up next, and he caught hold of one and hit a line drive that sliced away from everyone in right center for a two run double that put North Harrison up 3-2. Cruz Ury grounded out to score Wade Briggs, and then Hamilton came home on a close play on a wild pitch to make it 5-2 after one.
Logan Huitt then settled down, getting better and better as the game progressed. He retired the Mustangs in order, and then Matthew Heintz bunted a popup in the air that dropped in just before Wright could get to it for a base hit. Grant Claycomb walked and Logan Huitt, who bats lefthanded, sliced an opposite field double away from everybody in left center to score one. Logan Craig fought back from 0-2, fouled off three pitches, and walked to load the bases. Lane Huitt struck out looking, but Wade Briggs’ pop fly dropped in just before centerfielder Drayton Harris could get to it and two runs scored. That made it 8-2.
From there, North Harrison had baserunners galore, but Tri-County kept making strong defensive plays in the field to keep them off the board again until the sixth. But Logan Huitt kept throwing strikes and getting stronger as the game progressed. Third baseman Brandon Hamilton made several outstanding grabs, first baseman Logan Craig was catching everything throw in his general area and saving his teammates a ton of throwing errors, and Lane Huitt and Steven Willhite were making catches in the field.
Tri-County threatened to have a big inning in the fourth to get right back in the game. Gage Wright, who had already homered to start the game, turned on an inside pitch from Logan Huitt and hit a screamer down the left field line into the corner for a double to lead off. He took third on a wild pitch and Nathan Baker walked. But then Drayton Harris missed a steal sign as Baker took off on a first and third play and Harris blooped a pop fly into shallow left field. Lane Huitt came in on the dead run, made the grab, and doubled Baker off first. Wright took off for home on the throw to first and Logan Craig’s relay to Matthew Heintz nailed Wright as the Shamrocks completed the triple play.
Once again, North Harrison couldn’t score in the fourth as they loaded the bases with one out, only for Matthew Heintz to ground into a force at home and Grant Claycomb to ground out to third. Tri-County got a run back in the fifth when Taton Terry singled with one out and Tham Tomlinson walked. Terry took third on a wild pitch, and then Tomlinson took off for second. North Harrison elected to throw down on the first and third situation, but Tomlinson was safe at second and Terry came home on the play to make it 8-3. The top of the order was coming up for Tri-County, but Logan Huitt froze Critten on a 3-2 pitch and Vandiver grounded out to Hamilton at third to end the inning.
Logan Huitt got hit to lead off the fifth, stole second, and took third on Logan Craig’s long fly ball to center with one out. But then Lane Huitt hit a grounder back to Vandiver, now pitching, and Logan Huitt was picked off third and thrown out in a rundown.
North Harrison finally added to its lead in the sixth with one out as Cruz Ury narrowly missed a home run and doubled off the wall in left. Then, Steven Willhite hit a screamer to the opposite field that carried and cleared the right field fence, landing at the base of the big tree beyond right field. Cruz could not believe the ball had left the yard and stopped at one point before he realized what had happened. That made it 10-3. The Shamrocks loaded the bases with one out, but ran their way out of some more runs as Logan Craig popped out and then Vandiver picked Matthew Heintz off third to end the inning.
Wade Briggs tried to pitch the seventh, but his arm was sore and in obvious pain as he walked the first batter on four pitches. Logan Huitt, who had moved to second, came back on to pitch, got down in the count 2-0 to Taton Terry, and then saved his best stuff for last, recovering to strike him out with a big breaking ball. He struck out Tham Tomlinson with another breaking ball and then blew one by Ross Critten to end the game.
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