Kristen Tracy pitched the win and Worth County unloaded for 12 runs on a Princeton team they had scored one lone run off of in districts last year, winning 12-2 Thursday against a shorthanded squad. Princeton was without two of their players (flu).
But Princeton had two of their big guns back, Macey Lewis and Addie Henke, and their pitcher, Kelsey Goodin, who put in a lot of work during the offseason and keeps a lot of batters off balance with her unorthodox deliveries. They threatened in the first. After Tiger second baseman Kambree Briner snagged Henke’s screamer, Macey Lewis reached when Briner’s throw pulled Megan Tracy off the bag at first. Riley Clark forced Lewis at second and then Clark took second on a wild pitch. But then she tried to take third and was thrown out to end the inning.
After dodging a bullet, Worth County wasted no time getting on the board as Kambree Briner got the benefit of a close 3-2 pitch with one out. Kristen Tracy hit a shot to Goodin on the mound, but she had no play. Audrey Runde doubled to right field to score one and put runners on second and third to make it 1-0.
Keira Hardy struck out, but then Worth County scored their remaining six runs in the inning with two out. Megan Tracy got a scratch hit in front of the plate and made it as two Tigers crossed the plate to make it 3-0. Addison Gray walked and Braelyn Fletchall hit a short pop fly down the third base line that dropped in before anyone could grab it and Gray took third. Fletchall stole second and then Riley Ridge, who has established herself as one of the top slap hitters in the area this year, beat out a slap to the shortstop as two more Tigers scored to make it 5-0. Princeton fell asleep on defense and Ridge took second. Then, Rylee Ruckman doubled down the left field line and drove in two more to cap the Tiger first and make it 7-0.
Kristen Tracy was able to hold the fort from there. After walking nine against North Andrew before being lifted, she still fought the strike zone from time to time, but played through it this time. She only walked two batters against Princeton.
Tracy had help in the field in the second inning. Addison Wyatt hit a shot off first baseman Megan Tracy’s glove, but Kambree Briner made a great heads up play and made a diving grab to get her out.
In the Tiger third, Addison Gray led off with a walk. Walks lead to runs and sure enough, Riley Ridge got her second slap hit of the night, and Rylee Ruckman tripled them both home down the left field line to make it 9-0. Kristen Tracy doubled to left field to bring home Ruckman and make it 10-0.
But Princeton may have found a slugger to go with Macey Lewis and Addie Henke as Kaydence Stockman hit a home run to right field over the new fence, a ball that would have been a long out on the old field without the softball fence. That broke the shutout and made it 10-1. Jolena Gibson singled to center and Evan Boxley singled her to third. That set up Addison Wyatt’s groundout to cut the Tiger lead to 10-2.
The Tigers made some strong defensive plays in the fifth and sixth to keep Princeton off the board. In the fifth, Kambree Briner made a running catch to keep Macey Lewis off the bases, which might have sparked a big inning with the heart of the Princeton order coming up. In the sixth, after Kristen Tracy froze Stockman on the outside corner, first baseman Megan Tracy stretched to grab third baseman Keira Hardy’s throw to save a run and get out of the inning.
In the bottom of the sixth with two outs, Keira Hardy beat out a pop fly along the first base line that dropped untouched for a scratch hit to keep the inning going. That set up Megan Tracy’s triple to the center field wall when the center fielder overran it. Addison Gray beat out a grounder to shortstop to score Tracy and end it.
Out of the 12 runs Worth County scored that game, 9 of them came with two outs.
Worth County JV 5, Princeton 4
Worth County hung by the skin of their teeth in the nightcap to win it. Consecutive singles by Macey Lewis and Mikaylee Henke and a steal by Henke set up a sac fly from Kaydence Stockman to put Princeton up 1-0 in the first. Evan Boxley grounded out to score another to make it 2-0.
But like the first game, Worth County showed the ability to score with two outs as Braelyn Fletchall kept the Tigers going with a pop fly single to right and the throw to the infield got away to put her on second. Keira Hardy beat out an infield hit to put Fletchall on third, and then Addison Gray beat out yet another infield hit to put Hardy on third and cut the Tiger deficit to 2-1. Megan Tracy beat out another infield hit to tie it at 2-2, and then Princeton threw it around to put Worth County up 3-2 after one.
Kambree Briner, stationed in left, ran down Rachel Brass’ screamer to save an extra base hit. Later, Shannon Devine walked and stole second and took off for third on a groundout. Worth County tried to throw her out for a double play, but the throw got away to allow Princeton to tie it up.
Rylee Ruckman walked and Kambree Briner doubled, and then Kristen Tracy reached on an error to score both to make it 5-3.
They had to hang on by their fingernails in the third as Macey Lewis singled and Mikaylee Henke doubled to put runners on second and third. Lewis came home on a wild pitch, but then Worth County tagged out a runner trying for home to preserve the lead before shortstop Keira Hardy fielded two balls cleanly for the final two outs.
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