Rylee Ruckman's Walkoff Hit Puts Tigers in District Finals

Worth County’s softball team was down for the count, but they came back to win in walk-off fashion 6-5 Monday to make it to the final against Platte Valley. This was their fourth walkoff win this year, having walked off against Hardin-Central, Maryville, and North Harrison earlier in the year. It was Rylee Ruckman’s first ever walkoff hit. She also made a key defensive play in the fifth inning that saved a run.

It looked like a long night at first for Worth County. Princeton had routinely knocked Worth County out of districts in recent years, and they had some of the horses that were on those teams back. Brooklyn Richardson began the first inning by fighting the strike zone, bouncing everything in the dirt. In the Princeton first, Macey Lewis reached on Kambree Briner’s error, Grace Kelly walked, they went to second and third on a wild pitch, and Faith Siemer singled them home to make it 2-0.

Another Tiger error in the third put a runner on base, and then Faith Siemer hit a home run to make it 4-0. Meanwhile, Worth County was in over their heads against Kelsey Goodin, either swinging late on her pitches or chasing her high heat. They started to hit the ball better in the third inning, but hit it right at people.

In the fourth, Kynah Steele walked, but Brylee Rush was called out on strikes and Autumn Cousatte popped up, the ball was dropped, but Steele was forced at second. But Keira Hardy squibbed one in front of the plate and beat it out to keep the inning alive, and then Rylee Ruckman doubled them both home to cut the Tiger deficit to 4-2. Coach Tiffany Bliley said that it was at that point that the energy level of the team started going up.

With two outs in the Princeton fifth, Brooklyn Richardson began fighting the strike zone again and walked Emma Walkup. Walks lead to runs and sure enough, Riley Clark singled and Hannah Meighen crushed one into the gap to score Walkup. But right fielder Rylee Ruckman alertly gunned down Meighen at second, and Kynah Steele tagged her out right before Clark crossed the plate to keep the deficit at 5-2.

With one out, Kambree Briner atoned for her earlier errors when she crushed a double into left center field in the Tiger fifth. Two Princeton errors cut it to 5-3, and then Kynah Steele scored on a wild pitch to cut it to 5-4. Princeton could not answer in the sixth as Addy Henke was cut down stealing to end the inning.

Kristen Tracy led off the Tiger seventh by beating out an infield hit to short; she got there right before the ball did. Kynah Steele was plunked. There was a heartstopping moment as Brylee Rush popped out to second and Tracy was nearly doubled off second. Autumn Cousatte was plunked to load the bases, but Keira Hardy grounded to short and they went home for the force play, and the Tigers were down to their final out. But Rylee Ruckman caught hold of one and singled to left, bringing home Steele easily to tie the game. Autumn Cousatte slid underneath the tag on the throw home to give the Tigers the walkoff win. Bliley had been harping on the need to get out in front of pitches, and Ruckman did it perfectly her last two at bats.