Shamrocks End Worth County’s 12 Game Winning Streak

North Harrison had played several bigger schools tough and had come up short each time this year. They had done well in the Albany Tournament and had put themselves in position to win the conference, but they had several close losses against big schools. Tuesday, they had a night to forget as they didn’t even face Hamilton’s top pitcher, who had victimized them with a one hitter last year; however, they made six errors in a 13-4 loss. But against Worth County, they rose to the occasion and ended the Tigers’ 12 game winning streak Thursday, winning 6-3.

The whole game was back and forth for six innings, until in a reverse of the Lathrop game, North Harrison broke open a tight game with three in the seventh and Worth County could only answer with one. Their energy level, good for most of the year, kicked into another level. “I could tell on the bus ride over here that they were focused,” said Coach Brandon Craig.

Worth County had turned around their season in part by erasing a series of long losing streaks against certain teams, including Gallatin, Stanberry, Maryville, and Braymer. North Harrison, who Worth County last beat in 2011, will have to wait a little longer.

Jayliegh Robins, who had the hot hand for the Shamrocks, chased a riser to start the game, but Carly Rinehart crushed one into the left field corner for a double. Emma Craig walked and Rainey Fordyce beat out a bunt single down the third base line. Ashlynn Gilpatrick hit a grounder to Anna Spainhower, who barely missed a tag on Fordyce running by; she got the out, but Carly crossed the plate with North Harrison’s first run.

Aivry Griffin, who had the hot hand for Worth County, crushed one into right center for a double. Anna Gladstone struck out. Megan Cassavaugh hit a pop fly that looked like it would drop foul, but shortstop Kami Gibson got a good jump on it and ran it down in foul territory and nearly doubled off Griffin. Merrideth Spiers popped out.

Worth County finally got the run back in the third when, with two outs, Anna Gladstone hit a pop fly that dropped in front of Camden Castleberry in left. It looked like a routine single, but Daredevil Anna tried to stretch it into a double. A good throw would have got her, but Castleberry threw it away and Anna circled the bases to tie it at 1-1.

But North Harrison answered in the fourth when Rainey Fordyce, who had the hot hand for the Shamrocks, shot one into center off shortstop Jill Hardy’s glove for a base hit. Ashlynn Gilpatrick grounded out to move her to second. Kami Gibson’s fly ball to right was dropped by Aivry Griffin to put runners on first and third. Worth County nearly got out of the inning after an epic battle between Hunter Stevens and Ali Brown. Hunter fouled off six different pitches, but finally chased a high pitch on the tenth pitch and struck out for the second out. But then the bottom of the order came through for North Harrison as Trendi Johnson shot an 0-2 pitch up the middle for a base hit and Camden Castleberry singled to left to score two runs to make it 3-1.

With two outs in the fifth, North Harrison threatened to add to their lead when Rainey Fordyce singled to center. But Ashlynn Gilpatrick’s screamer was right at Anna Spainhower at second, who robbed her of extra bases to keep Worth County’s deficit at two.

But Worth County always had the hot hand in the late innings during their winning streak, and sure enough, they got a run back in the fifth to make it 3-2. Morgan Beagle had a hard out when she grounded out to Ashlynn Gilpatrick. Anna Spainhower hit a slow roller just past Gilpatrick at third and she made it for a scratch hit. Braidy Hunt hit a foul ball to the left side; Gilpatrick got twisted around trying to chase it, but came up with it for the second out. But then Spainhower showed some wheels like her namesake, took off for second, and dove in safe under Kami Gibson’s tag. Aivry Griffin then singled her home.

The Shamrocks looked set up for a big inning in the sixth with Hunter Stevens reached on an uncalled pop fly and Trendi Johnson got her second hit to put runners on first and second. But then Hunter Stevens took off for third and was gunned down by Megan Cassavaugh. “That was my fault,” said Coach Brandon Craig. “I wanted to call a sac bunt, and I called a steal instead. I told them they had to pick me up.” Tiger first baseman Anna Gladstone stretched far for shortstop Jill Hardy’s throw to get the third out.

But after Worth County didn’t score in the sixth, North Harrison got another chance when Jayliegh Robins, who had been held in check all day, hit a screamer that sliced away from left fielder Morgan Beagle for a double; there was a heartstopping moment as she rounded second too far, got into a pickle, but somehow scrambled back safely to the bag. Carly Rinehart advanced her with a bunt, and Emma Craig singled to left center to make it 4-2. Rainey Fordyce reached on Aivry Griffin’s dropped fly in right to put Craig on third, and Rainey stole second. Kami Gibson singled in both runs to make it 6-2. It would have been worse, but first baseman Anna Gladstone did the splits to catch Merrideth Spiers’ errant throw for the third out. Her performance at first is similar to her aunt Kate Gladstone, who did the splits all the time at first to save her team throwing errors for the 1995 GRC Champion Tigers, coached by Nicki (Baldwin) Herndon.

Worth County got a glimmer of hope when Morgan Beagle, who had a habit of running out ground balls no matter what, made it pay off as she beat second baseman Trendi Johnson’s throw to lead off the Tiger seventh. Pitcher Carly Rinehart blew one by Anna Spainhower and struck out Braidy Hunt, but then Beagle took off for second and made it. Aivry Griffin got down to the team’s final strike, but she kept Worth County alive with a single to right center, her third hit, to score Beagle to make it 6-3. Anna Gladstone hit a towering fly ball, but right at Jayliegh Robins in right to end the game.