The Shamrocks drew the first seed, but there are no weak teams at Albany, and King City was able to play a full game with North Harrison. North Harrison also went the distance in their first round battles the previous two years. But they jumped on King City early, with three in the first, and continued to pull away with balanced hitting to get the win.
North Harrison 7, Albany 2
Albany had beaten North Harrison last year behind the pitching of Riley Houts, but she was gone for this year and North Harrison jumped on Kayce Messner early. In the Shamrock first, Carly Rinehart tripled into the left field corner. Emma Craig hit a screamer, but right at first baseman Paige Brown for the second out. Ashlynn Gilpatrick doubled to the wall in left to score, and Rainey Fordyce doubled as well. She was out trying for third, but the Shamrocks were on top 2-0.
The Shamrocks teed off on Messner as Jayliegh Robins singled past second and Carly Rinehart tripled over the left fielder’s head for her second triple to score her. Emma Craig’s pop fly dropped in for a base hit to score Rinehart, and she stole second safely. Ashlynn Gilpatrick walked and Craig stole third on the return throw to the pitcher, diving safely under the tag. Rainey Fordyce singled past short to score Craig and Kami Gibson singled to load the bases to finish Messner. But Messner would go to center and make several great catches to help stop the bleeding.
Sierra Anthony came on in relief and Kenna Slaughter grounded out to score Gilpatrick, while Trendi Johnson’s pop fly dropped untouched for a scratch hit to make it 7-0, bringing in Fordyce.
Albany finally got on the board in the fifth when Paige Brown, Torrie Runyan, and Michaela Martin all singled to make it 7-1.
There was a scary moment in the North Harrison fifth when Jayliegh Robins was plunked in her glove (right) hand while stealing second and was hurt on the play. But she stayed in the game, which turned out to be critical. Albany started teeing off on pitcher Carly Rinehart as Gabby Newman, who had been held in check all game, tripled off the wall in center. Sierra Anthony struck out, but then Gabby Newman successfully stole home on a return throw to the pitcher to make it 7-2.
All the momentum seemed to be shifting back towards Albany as Emily Poppa crushed one down the right field line. But Robins came on the dead run and made the backhanded catch, putting her in even more pain, but she refused to come out. The catch loomed up strongly as Amber Davis crushed a double off the wall before Rinehart finally struck out Paige Brown for the third out to restore order.
As Messner was running down everything in sight for the Warriors in center, Albany tried to make another charge in the seventh, but a critical catch by centerfielder Rainey Fordyce quashed their hopes. #9 hitter Torrie Runyan crushed one to deep center, but Rainey took several steps back and ran it down for the second out of the inning. That loomed up strongly, as Michaela Martin’s pop fly squirted just out of the reach of shortstop Kami Gibson for a base hit. But then Kayce Messner tried to catch North Harrison napping with a bunt, but bunted it in the air to Rinehart, who alertly caught it for the third out.
Princeton 3, North Harrison 2
This matchup, pitting last year’s district title foes, turned into a good pitching duel between Lauren Krohn and Carly Rinehart. Jayliegh Robins, who had hurt her right hand when she was plunked attempting to steal a base the previous game, not only stayed in the game, but had Krohn’s number, going 4 for 4 in the game.
North Harrison, who has moved Kami Gibson from first to shortstop, has tried several different people at first base, but may have found one in Hunter Stevens, who played her best game as a Shamrock in the title game; she was solid in the field and showed some newfound pop in her bat, getting two hard outs, one of which would have left the yard in Eagleville.
Jayliegh Robins showed her home run from the East Harrison game was no fluke, as she crushed another one to the wall in right and got a leadoff triple to start the game. Princeton nearly got out of the inning when Carly Rinehart struck out and Emma Craig popped out, but then Ashlynn Gilpatrick walked to keep North Harrison’s chances alive and Robins came home on a wild pitch to make it 1-0.
The lead stood up until the fourth. In the third, leftfielder Camden Castleberry showed some newfound range in left as Lindsey Batson hit a pop fly over shortstop Kami Gibson’s head that looked like it might drop in for a base hit. But Castleberry came racing in from her left field spot all the way to the edge of the grass to run it down for the third out.
Princeton got on the board in the fourth when Lauren Krohn walked with one out. Carsey Brown singled, and Makenzie Dunklin also singled to left, going to second on the unsuccessful throw home. Jasmine Allen reached on a fielder’s choice as shortstop Kami Gibson unsuccessfully tried to cut down Brown at the plate as Princeton took a 2-1 lead. Princeton had runners on first and third with one out, but North Harrison stopped the bleeding when Emma Craig threw down to second to cut down Allen stealing and Dunklin stayed at third. Pitcher Carly Rinehart struck out Megan Spencer to end the inning.
Lacie Lewis singled to lead off the sixth for Princeton, but Lauren Krohn hit a screamer right at Hunter Stevens at first. She caught it and doubled off Lewis for a double play. That turned out to head off a big inning, as Princeton proceeded to bunch three straight singles from Carsey Brown, Makenzie Dunklin, and Jasmine Allen to put them up 3-1.
North Harrison got the run back in their half of the sixth, as Emma Craig crushed a double to right center to lead off. Ashlyn Gilpatrick hit a pop fly to put runners on first and third, she stole second, and Rainey Fordyce flied out to center to score Craig and put Gilpatrick on third. Kami Gibson struck out, but Hunter Stevens put a charge in one that would have left the yard in Eagleville. But the left fielder ran it down for the third out with Princeton still in front 3-2.
Princeton threatened to add to their lead in the seventh. Sara Spencer hit a slow roller that squirted out of everyone’s reach in the infield, and Kennedy Norton popped out. But Lindsey Batson beat out a bunt single, bringing up Lacie Lewis. But shortstop Kami Gibson ran down her pop fly in foul territory for the second out and Lauren Krohn flied out to Fordyce in center for the third out.
North Harrison’s first two batters grounded out in the seventh, but Jayliegh Robins’ grounder to short took a bad hop and went into the gap for a double. However, Rinehart grounded out to end the game.
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