South Harrison had a banner year last year with a 27-6 record; they continued their run in summer ball by running the table. The Bulldogs, along with Polo, Gallatin, and Platte Valley are the teams to beat in softball this year, but Worth County showed they belonged in that conversation as well. South Harrison jumped on them early in the first game of the Jamboree, only for Kynah Steele to hit a home run as Worth County battled back before falling short 3-2.
The blistering heat, which reached an index of as high as 110 degrees and an actual temperature of 95, took its toll on Mercer the second game. Mercer sent out a slow pitcher against the Tigers and they took full advantage in the second game. Brooklyn Richardson scored on a wild pitch for the first run. Addison Gray was plunked by a pitch to force in a second run. Kristin Tracy scored on a passed ball for the third run of the first, Becca Smith walked to force in the fourth, and Sumer Riley grounded out to bring in a fifth run. Since the length of the innings were five runs or three outs, the inning was over with Worth County leading 5-0.
Freshman pitcher Kristin Tracy, backing up Brooklyn Richardson, pitched the game. Lily Stark grounded out to bring in a run for Mercer to cut the Tiger lead to 5-1, but second baseman Becca Smith, back after missing a year (knee), caught Payton Houk's screamer to end the inning and prevent further damage.
Mercer put in their best pitcher for the second inning, but Brooklyn Richardson greeted her with a ground ball fair past third for a base hit. Mercer proceeded to throw the ball around as Brooklyn circled the bases to make it 6-1. Kristin Tracy hit a single over the shortstop's head and took second on a wild pitch. Kynah Steele reached on an error and Addison Gray walked. Keira Hardy forced out Gray at second, but a run scored to make it 7-1. Becca Smith showed her legs are back as she hit a squibber down the third base line and beat it out to load the bases. Kynah Steele scored on a wild pitch. Rayleigh Smith reached on an error to score another run and Sumer Riley singled for the fifth Tiger run to cap off the 10-1 victory.
Worth County sent Brooklyn Richardson against the Shamrocks; she has usually had their number over the years, but Ruby Heintz worked a two out walk in the top of the first. Catcher Rylee Ruckman tried to pick her off first, but the ball got away down the right field line and hit the edge of the grass and bounced high in the air as Heintz made it all the way to third. Jaci Davis walked and Jaxcynn Hansel hit a crazy chopper between short and third that nobody could make a play on as Heintz scored. But Richardson froze Kayka Wilson with a diabolical screwball to get out of the inning with minimal damage done.
North Harrison rested Erica Gerken after pitching her the first two games and sent out Lani Briggs, a freshman, against Worth County. Keira Hardy walked, but North Harrison nearly got out of the inning when Kambree Briner grounded out and Brooklyn Richardson popped out to Jaci Davis. But then Hardy scored on a wild pitch, Autumn Cousatte and Riley Ridge were hit, they pulled off a successful double steal of second and third, and the Tiger floodgates were opened as the next four batters, Brylee Rush, Rayleigh Smith, Becca Smith, and Rylee Ruckman all got hits to make it 5-1.
Tiger catcher Rylee Ruckman showed some sportsmanship as she helped out Carmon Fordyce at the plate as Carmon stopped to tie one shoe and realized the other was a mare's nest. The break allowed the teams to rest for a few minutes in the sweltering heat. When play resumed, Fordyce walked after a long battle, stole second, took third on an error, and came home on a wild pitch to cut it to 5-2. But the Tigers were lining up another big inning after Sumer Riley was hit to force in a run to make it 6-2 when time was called.
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