Worth County shut out North Harrison 5-0 Thursday behind the pitching of Brooklyn Richardson and strong play in the field that included two double plays and errorless ball in the field. North Harrison matched Worth County most of the time, but had two bad innings defensively, the second and the fifth as they saw their season come to an end.
The Tigers scored 12 of their 13 runs against North Harrison in their last win against the Shamrocks with out outs; their first three runs in the second in Thursday's game all scored with two outs. Hailey Adwell kept the Tiger second going when she reached on a scratch hit and went to second on pitcher Erica Gerken's throwing error. She took third on a wild pitch, Brooklyn Richardson walked and stole second, and Lanie Cousatte hit a slow roller that caromed off Gerken's glove for a scratch hit as Adwell scored and Richardson took third. Aivry Griffin hit a pop fly that right fielder Katelyn Briggs tried for, but it dropped right before she got there and rolled away for a triple as two more runs scored to make it 3-0.
From there on out, Worth County played lights out defense and wouldn't allow any of North Harrison's big guns to do any damage. In the Shamrock fourth, Jayliegh Robins hit a slow roller down the first base line, a play that she normally beats out. But Richardson used her speed to get to the ball and tagged her out going by. She walked Ruby Heintz, but then blew a fastball by Katelyn Briggs for strike three.
North Harrison finally started to get better swings against Richardson in the fifth when Jaci Davis shot a single just past Lanie Cousatte on second to start the fifth. But Erica Gerken hit it hard, but right at Cousatte to force Davis at second. Baily Briggs hit a grounder to second, and Worth County pulled off a perfect 4-6-3 double play to get out of the inning.
Lanie Cousatte reached on a hard smash that second baseman Trendi Johnson couldn't hold on to to start the Tiger fifth. Aivry Griffin laid down a perfect bunt down the third base line and reached on a scratch hit. Becca Smith hit a slow roller to Jaci Davis at third. Davis had to play in or risk letting Smith reach on a scratch hit to load the bases; her only play was to first as both runners advanced. North Harrison intentionally walked Ali Brown to set up a force at home, but Kynah Steele hit a grounder to Gerken that she had no chance to throw home on. She got Steele out at first, but two runs came home as Aivry Griffin flew around third and came home all the way from second to make it 5-0.
North Harrison looked like they would finally get their bats going in the sixth as Amber Wilson hit a grounder into the hole that shortstop Kynah Steele had no chance on, although she made a great stop. Trendi Johnson hit an apparent extra base hit down the left field line, but left fielder Hailey Adwell made a great stop to hold her to a single and keep Wilson at second. Camden Castleberry popped out to Steele, but Jayliegh Robins got a base hit up the middle. Center fielder Aivry Griffin charged it hard and Wilson had to stop at third, or Griffin's throw would have got her easily. It all looked set for a big inning, but Ruby Heintz hit a grounder back to Richardson, and Worth County turned a perfect 1-2-3 double play as she threw home to Autumn Cousatte, who relayed to Ali Brown at first to complete the double play.
Worth County tried to add some insurance runs in the sixth as Kara Staton grounded up the middle for a base hit, Hailey Adwell reached on an error, and Brooklyn Richardson laid down a bunt. North Harrison tried to get the force at third instead of try to retire the speedy Richardson at first, but the umpire said that Staton beat the force, and the bases were loaded with nobody out. But with their backs to the wall, North Harrison made a stand as Laine Cousatte grounded into a force at home, as did Aivry Griffin. Brooklyn Richardson tried to steal home on a return throw to the pitcher, and it took a good throw to get her, but Gerken alertly threw home to Jayliegh Robins to nail her to deny Worth County in the sixth.
Once again, pitcher Brooklyn Richardson pulled off the tag play as she handled Katelyn Briggs' tricky grounder down the first base line to start the seventh. Jaci Davis walked and went to second and third on wild pitches, but Richardson settled down and froze Erica Gerken on a change for strike three and the second out. Baily Briggs grounded out to Steele to end the game.
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