The Tigers showed signs of surprising people this year, as they won the North Harrison softball jamboree despite losing many seniors last year. They beat highly touted South Harrison 3-2, dropped Mercer 7-2, and then played North Harrison to a 4-4 tie after a wild finish last Tuesday.
Worth County 3, South Harrison 2
Worth County first played South Harrison and fell behind 2-0 to the Bulldogs after an early home run by the purple shirts. But they got the runs right back after Kynah Steele hit one over the fence to knot it up at 2-2, and then they pushed another run across to get the win. On the field, the Tigers got a key double play when they threw a runner out at the plate and then threw out a runner trying to take third on the play to kill a Bulldog rally. First baseman Kara Staton made a catch in the field for the Tigers and Ali Brown got the win.
Worth County 7, Mercer 2
In the Mercer game, the Tigers were in hot water all game before pulling away late for the win. In the Mercer first, Summer Martin walked and stole second. Emma Shipley struck out, but then Martin took third on a wild pitch. Rainey Michael singled to get her home. Michael tried to steal second, but was thrown out stealing, which loomed up strongly as pitcher Brooklyn Richardson hit the next two batters and Kaydee Hill reached on an error to load the bases. But then Tori Meinecke grounded into a force at third to end the inning.
The first two batters made outs in the Tiger first, but then Kynah Steele got the run back with her second home run of the day to tie the score at 1-1. Hailey Adwell, Brooklyn Richardson, and Becca Smith all singled to load the bases, with Smith showing some newfound speed to beat a grounder; she showed she is one of the most improved Tigers from last year. Kara Staton singled to center to break the tie and then Brooklyn Richardson stole home on a return throw to the pitcher to put the Tigers up 3-1 after one.
Breanna Houk reached on a base hit when right fielder Liz Brown misjudged a fly ball in the sun and it dropped behind her. She stole second and went to third on a wild pitch before Richardson hit McKenzie Hagan. Hagan stole second and Houk came home safely on the return throw to second to cut the Tiger lead to 3-2. Summer Martin then grounded to third, but Worth County threw to first for the out and then nailed Hagan at third trying to advance for a double play. That loomed up big as the next two batters, Emma Shipley and Rainey Michael, reached on an error and a scratch hit. But Maddi Fisher grounded out to end the inning.
Worth County broke open the game in the bottom of the second as Liz Brown reached on a bad hop single and Autumn Cousatte reached on an error when Mercer threw a force away, putting runners on first and third. Cousatte stole second. Ali Brown struck out, but then Kynah Steele was hit by a pitch to load the bases and Liz Brown came home on a wild pitch on a close play to make it 4-2 as the other runners moved to second and third. Aivry Griffin singled to left and took second as Mercer tried to nail Kynah Steele going second to third, but she was safe on a close play as Cousatte scored to make it 5-2. Brooklyn Richardson singled in Kynah Steele and Aivry Griffin scored on a wild pitch to make it 7-2.
Bailey Houk walked for the Cards to start the third, but Brooklyn Richardson, who got stronger as the game progressed, got the last three Mercer batters out to preserve the win.
Worth County 4, North Harrison 4
The nightcap resembled a scenario out of the Field of Dreams game played in Iowa earlier this year between the Yankees and the White Sox. First, Worth County made a 1-0 lead stand up until the third inning. North Harrison plated four in the third, only for Worth County to force the tie with three in its half of the inning. Since South Harrison had beaten North Harrison 2-0 in their game, Worth County came away the winner of the jamboree.
North Harrison tried to jump on Worth County early, but then right fielder Becca Smith ran down Trendi Johnson's drive, first baseman Abbi Brown caught Camden Castleberry's pop fly, and then Hailey Adwell ran down Jayliegh Robins' screamer to center to keep the green shirts off the board.
Shamrock shortstop Ruby Heintz ran down Brooklyn Richardson's pop fly behind third that looked headed for trouble, but then Aivry Griffin singled to Jayliegh Robins in center. The ball got away from her, and by the time she got it back in, Griffin had circled the bases to put the Tigers up 1-0. Worth County kept North Harrison off the board in the second, but then Robins ran down ZeeAnna Gladstone's screamer in their half of the second to keep the deficit at 1-0.
North Harrison got down to its final out in the third, but Trendi Johnson beat out a grounder to third to keep the Shamrock's chances alive, and Worth County threw it away to put her on second. That was all they needed as Camden Castleberry singled to left and went to second on the unsuccessful throw home to tie it at 1-1. Jayliegh Robins singled just beyond second baseman Taylor Sanders' reach as Castleberry scored to make it 2-1. Jaci Davis then hit a seeing eye single up the middle and Robins scored all the way from first as Davis took second on the throw home. Ruby Heintz singled just past second to score Davis and make it 4-1.
But just like two games last year, when Worth County nearly erased impossible deficits against the Shamrocks twice, they came roaring back. Aivry Griffin singled, stole second, and took third on a wild pitch. Hailey Adwell hit a hard grounder in the hole at short. Ruby Heintz made a nice stop, but had no play as Griffin scored. Hailey Adwell stole second; Kara Staton struck out, but it was dropped, and Adwell took third as the throw went to first to retire Staton. Ali Brown singled to left and Autumn Cousatte singled. They went to second and third on a wild pitch, and ZeeAnna Gladstone hit a grounder to short. There was no play at the plate, so Heintz went to first as the tying run crossed the plate. Autumn Cousatte was safe at third on a close play. Taylor Sanders had a chance to walk it off for Worth County, but flied out to center as the Shamrocks preserved the tie.
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