Worth County's softball team wrested the preseason jamboree title from North Harrison Tuesday, scoring three in the last inning to take the title from the Shamrocks 5-4. North Harrison had won it the last two times. While they have not beaten North Harrison in a regular season game since 2010, when they did it in districts, they showed a lot of promise. The Tigers have had a group of several different players who have worked on softball all offseason, and it finally paid off at the Jamboree.
Worth County got a 3-3 tie against South Harrison and a 7-2 win over Mercer in their other two games, while North Harrison got wins over Mercer (8-0) and South Harrison (3-1). South Harrison beat Mercer for its lone win.
Against South Harrison, Worth County got in the hole 2-0 in the first as Emily Nible's pop fly down the right field line dropped in between three fielders. Worth County got a run back in their half of the first when Anna Gladstone grounded out to score Braidy Hunt. South Harrison threatened in the second when Kierra Shelby walked and Riley McChesney singled with two out. But Shelby was out in a rundown trying to go first to third, and then Megan Cassavaugh homered in the second to tie it up at 2-2.
Emily Miller grounded out in the third to score Jillian Hurt to put South Harrison back in front, but Merrideth Spiers' pop fly single scored Braidy Hunt in the bottom of the inning to knot it again at 3-3.
Worth County fell behind 1-0 after one against Mercer in their second game when Tori Meinecke walked to force in a run, but EmiLee Brown walked and Anna Gladstone homered in the top of the second to put Worth County in front 2-1.
In the Tiger third, Elizabeth Brown reached on a dropped third strike and the throw to first rolled down the right field line and underneath the gate joining the small field to the big field, putting Brown on second. Aivry Griffin hit a pop fly double to right that dropped in for a double, putting runners on second and third. Braidy Hunt doubled off the left center field wall to score two. Megan Cassavaugh flied out, but EmiLee Brown walked and Anna Gladstone singled in Hunt. Maddie Runde's grounder hit the pitching rubber and took a bad hop, and everybody was safe. Jill Hardy's single scored two more to make it 7-1.
Jordan Coon's home run, her first of two on the night for Mercer, cut it to 7-2 in the Mercer third. Aubrey Wilson and Brea Shipley walked, but Tori Meinecke grounded into a force at third and Liz Brown, playing at second, scrambled back to snag Rainey Michael's pop fly that looked headed to right for a base hit to end the game.
North Harrison won handily against Mercer and held off South Harrison for their two wins. Against Mercer, Emma Craig pitched steadily as she hit a batter, but didn't walk anyone and allowed only two hits. In the bottom of the first, Jayliegh Robins beat out a bunt single down the first base line and went all the way to third on a wild pitch. She then came home as Mercer was still not paying attention to her on defense. She is only a freshman, but will do a ton of damage on the basepaths in the future. "We haven't had that kind of speed on the basepaths in a while," said coach Brandon Craig.
Later in the first, Emma Craig singled between third and short and stole second. Kami Gibson doubled off the wall in center, scoring Katelyn Briggs (running for Craig). Ashlynn Gilpatrick reached on a throwing error as Gibson scored from second.
In the second, Kenna Slaughter singled between first and second and Jayliegh Robins stretched a single into a double to put runners on second and third. Carly Rinehart reached on an error when the first baseman let a ball get away, putting runners on second and third and scoring a run. Emma Craig hit a pop fly double that dropped in front of the center fielder, and two more came home. Later, Trendi Johnson and Kami Gibson scored on wild pitches to make it 8-0.
Against South Harrison, back to back doubles from Carly Rinehart and Emma Craig scored one run. Then, Emma came all the way around to score when a return throw got away from the pitcher and into center field to make it 2-0. South Harrison got one run back when, with Milaynie May at first and Jillian Hurt at third with one out, North Harrison threw out a runner stealing and took a run into an out. Later, catcher Kami Gibson picked off Emily Nible off of first, and she was out in a rundown.
North Harrison got in hot water in the second when Madi Nichols walked and stole second. Kooper Jennings popped out to Carly Rinehart, but Nichols took third on a wild pitch and shortstop Emma Craig dropped a pop fly. But then Nichols tried to score on the play and Craig threw her out at the plate and Maycee Ragan struck out. The Shamrocks got into more hot water in the third as Riley McChesney tripled with one out. But pitcher Carly Rinehart struck out Hurt and Emily Miller to quash the threat.
Against the Shamrocks, Worth County sent up freshman Ali Brown to pitch. She was rocked early in the first, but then settled down, made some good pitches, and got out of the inning. Jayliegh Robins reached on a bad hop single that bounded into right, and Carly Rinehart doubled into the left field corner and Robins came all the way home from first to make it 1-0. Emma Craig waited until the last possible minute and dropped a perfect bunt down the first base line, putting runners on first and third and setting up a potential big inning. But then Brown settled down, getting Kami Gibson called out on strikes and Ashlynn Gilpatrick out on a pop fly. Rainey Fordyce walked to load the bases, but Katelyn Briggs struck out.
Worth County went in front 2-1 when Jill Hardy reached on an error when Kenna Slaughter's throw got away and she reached second. Morgan Beagle singled past first to score her. Ali Brown, Anna Gladstone, and Ali Brown all walked to force in a run to put Worth County in front.
North Harrison seemingly took control when Kenna Slaughter hit a screamer to right. Right fielder Morgan Beagle tried for a great catch, but missed it and it rolled all the way to the wall for a triple. Trendi Johnson singled just over shortstop Anna Gladstone's leaping try to score a run, and Jayliegh Robins laid down yet another successful bunt down the first base line to put runners on first and second. Carly Rinehart laid down another perfect bunt to put runners on second and third. Emma Craig hit a rocket off second baseman Allison Larison's glove; it bounded only a short distance away, but once again, Jayliegh Robins pulled off another great baserunning play as she scored all the way from second on the play to make it 4-2.
The first two Worth County batters got out in the third, but with the Tigers down to their final strike, Jill Hardy hit a slow roller up the middle that second baseman Carly Rinehart had no play on. Morgan Beagle crushed a double to center field as Hardy flew all the way around from first to score. Allison Larison singled to left to score Beagle, and Larison went to second on a wild pitch. Catcher Emma Craig's throw got away from everybody and rolled all the way to the center field wall as Larison flew around the bases to score.
Last year, the Tigers had all the trouble in the world closing out games in the final inning, but this time, Brown shut the door on the Shamrocks, retiring them in order in the bottom of the third to complete the comeback.
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