Shamrocks Drop Wild Game to Hornets; Ava Rinehart Homers for Junior High

North Harrison’s softball team dropped an 11-0 decision to Princeton and a 7-3 game to North Andrew last week. They were hoping for a better outcome this week, but ran into a buzzsaw against Hamilton, dropping a wild 15-6 game Monday.

Penny began the scoring with two outs in the first when Erica Gerken plunked Jade Gray and Chloe McGraw doubled her home. Both teams had chances for the first three innings. Lani Briggs singled to right. But Ruby Heintz hit a fly ball to shallow center that the Hornets let drop so they could force Briggs at second (legal play). In the Shamrock second, Gerken nearly got a home run, but it died at the wall and fell in for a double. North Harrison couldn’t get her home as Hailey Claycomb popped out and Andi Nail and Jaxcynn Hansel struck out. In the Hamilton third, Braelynn Calton walked to lead off, but Gerken forced her at second, Rain Gray struck out, and Jade Gray grounded out. With one out in the Shamrock third, Lani Briggs beat out an infield hit, but then North Harrison had trouble recognizing Hornet pitcher Rain Gray’s changeup and the next two batters struck out.

The first two Hornet batters hit hard outs to start the fourth, with Chloe McGraw hitting a screamer ran down by right fielder Jaxcynn Hansel, and then Lakelyn Shatto hitting a hard grounder to Jaci Davis at third. But then the wheels came off and all hell began to break loose. Most umpires live for the moment when they can ring batters up for strike three, but the umpire behind the plate Monday night steadfastly refused to ring Hamilton batters up for strike three in that inning. Erica Gerken would get the first two strikes on Penny batters, but then the umpire would refuse to call the last strike.

Four straight walks were followed by an infield hit by Teagan Ford, and then the Hornet batters teed off, with Rain Gray singling and Jade Gray doubling. By the time the dust had settled. Penny was up 7-0.

But to their credit, the Shamrocks battled back starting off with a single from Kayka Wilson. Gerken flied out and Hailey Claycomb grounded out, but then Andi Nail walked and stole second, Jaxcynn Hansel singled to score Wilson, and took off for second. Hamilton tried to throw her out, but the ball got away and Nail scored and Hansel took third. Kira Robertson walked and stole second.

The difference was that the Shamrock batters were finally recognizing Rain Gray’s changes and either laying off them or crushing them for hits. Lani Briggs turned on a change and singled to left, scoring Hansel. Kira Robertson hesitated rounding third but made it safely on a close play as Briggs took second. Ruby Heintz walked, Jaci Davis singled to load the bases, and Kayka Wilson got her second hit of the inning, a pop fly single that scored Briggs and Heintz. Erica Gerken hit it hard, but right at the center fielder for the third out. By the time the dust had settled, both teams put up a six spot in the fourth and Hamilton led 7-6.

But Hamilton picked up right where they left off, teeing off on Gerken, getting seven hits in the fifth inning as they took a 14-6 lead. They then brought in Braelynn Calton to pitch, and she restored order for the Hornets. North Harrison kept battling, however, as Gerken finally solved the umpire’s strike zone and the outfielders started getting much better jumps on the ball in the later innings.

The Shamrocks overcame an error in the sixth inning as they cut down Calton at third after misplaying a force at second. Their best chance to score came in the sixth when Kira Robertson walked and seemingly had second stolen. But she came off the bag and was tagged out. Lakelyn Shatto hit a home run in the seventh to extend the Hornet lead, but two outstanding defensive plays by the Shamrocks prevented further damage as Jaxcynn Hansel ran down Jade Gray’s screamer in right and Kira Robertson ran down Chloe McGraw in left center.

Penny JV 14, North Harrison 10
The junior varsity game was just as wild as the varsity, with Hamilton building up a big lead, but North Harrison fighting back until the end. All hell broke loose in the first two innings as Hamilton took advantage of numerous hits, walks, and errors to build up a 9-0 lead. But just like in the varsity game, instead of folding, the Shamrocks started battling back. Jaxcynn Hansel tripled off the left field wall to start the third and Kayka Wilson singled her home. Hailey Claycomb beat out an infield hit, and a single to shallow center by Carmon Fordyce brought in two to cut it to 9-4.

Hamilton tacked on five more runs in the third to make it 14-4, but after getting the first two outs in their half, the Shamrocks fought back again. This time, they were sparked when Hailey Claycomb hit s shot as hard as she has ever hit a ball off the pitcher’s glove for a scratch hit. Lani Briggs hit a screamer down the right field line that the right fielder couldn’t handle, and Claycomb scored all the way home from first as she was off with the crack of the bat with two outs.

Walks by Haily Bears and Natalie Parkhurst and a Hamilton error led to another run. Kira Robertson hit a shot off the pitcher’s glove into no man’s land to bring in two, Jaxcynn Hansel beat out an infield hit, and Kayka Wilson singled as Robertson scored and Hansel flew around the bases to score from first to cut it to 14-10. The Shamrocks didn’t lose, they ran out of time as the one hour time limit had expired and the teams were using the five run rule.

Penny Junior High 16, North Harrison 12
The junior high game was just as wild. The Shamrocks took an early lead, and then the game was tied at 6 and then 8. Hamilton then took a 16-8 lead, only for North Harrison to battle back and score four more runs at the end. Ava Rinehart hit a home run over the fence for the Shamrocks.

Shamrock Golfers Tie for First
The Shamrock golfing duo of Jaci Davis and Lani Briggs had a long day, competing in the 18-hole Albany Best Shot and tying for first with a score of 84 before making it back in time for the warmups for the softball game.