North Harrison started off the preseason jamboree with some promise, beating Mercer handily and playing Worth County tough for two innings. But when the regular season started, the wheels came off. First, they dropped an 11-1 game against highly touted Pattonsburg. Then, against a team that was supposed to be another doormat, Stanberry’s bats erupted and they won 18-2 against the Shamrocks. With their youth and inexperience, they were clearly missing pitcher Erica Gerken, third baseman Jaci Davis, and shortstop Ruby Heintz from last year.
In the Albany Tournament, they showed some signs of life, jumping on top seed Pattonsburg early before the wheels came off, playing King City tough for four innings before falling apart, and then jumping on North Andrew before the Cardinal bats came alive in the last game.
Pattonsburg 11, North Harrison 3
The Shamrocks were the bottom seed, but they jumped on the Panthers early as Lani Briggs reached on second baseman Reiann Hampton’s throwing error. Addison Milligan dropped down a perfect bunt in no-man’s land between the mound and the first base line, and then Ava Rinehart walked to load the bases. Hampton atoned for her previous error by tagging out Rinehart and throwing out Kayka Wilson at first for a double play as Briggs crossed the plate. Jaxcynn Hansel hit a fly ball that Rosie Cameron lost in the sun in right field as Addison Milligan scored to make it 2-0.
But then the Panthers started fighting back after Jayden Goble crushed a home run to the left field wall in the huge Albany park, much farther away than the normal 200 foot fences. That made it 2-1. Shealyn Pliley walked and later scored on a wild pitch to tie at at 2-2. Kennedy Warner singled to score Kaitlyn Estes to put the Panthers in front 3-2.
North Harrison could not do any damage in the second as center fielder Katelyn Jones ran down Annabelle Owens’ drive in center field.
Addi Iddings (Gage Iddings’ sister) crushed a double into the right field gap to start the Panther second. A pair of Shamrock errors plated Cheyanne Miller (running for Iddings) and Reiann Hampton to make it 5-2 and put Katelyn Jones on second. Jayden Goble hit a pop fly that dropped behind the bag at third for a double as Jones, who held up to make sure it wasn’t caught, took third. Jones scored on a wild pitch to make it 6-2. Shamrock center fielder Gracie Young stopped further damage with a great play when she caught Izzy Burger’s fly ball and threw home to double up Goble.
The wheels came off in the third for the Shamrocks when an error, two wild pitches, a walk, and a stolen base set up Addi Iddings’ single to score one to make it 7-2; she has seemingly been getting hitting lessons from one of her best friends, Maggie Collins. Cheyanne Miller (running for Iddings) stole second and Reiann Hampton doubled them both home to make it 9-2. Katelyn Jones bunted for a base hit and Jayden Goble walked. Shealyn Pliley hit a pop fly as the infield fly rule applied, but everybody advanced and a run scored to make it 10-2. Izzy Burger flied out to score one to make it 11-2.
Carmon Fordyce singled to start off the Shamrock fourth. Hali Smith reached on an error when new pitcher Kaitlyn Estes threw away a grounder to put runners on second and third. Annabelle Owens grounded out to score Fordyce. Gracie Young hit a drive for what looked like extra bases, but center fielder Katelyn Jones came clear over from center to snag it. Jones made several such plays; her coach, Bill Pottorff, could have seriously gone with five or six infielders.
In the fourth, Shamrock pitcher Lani Briggs got a double play when she caught Reiann Hampton’s screamer and doubled Cheyanne Miller off third base. Later, shortstop Addison Milligan snagged Kaitlyn Jones’ screamer to end the inning.
King City 10, North Harrison 1
North Harrison played King City tough for three innings, but the Wildkats, with their 1-2 punch of Kenzie Pettijohn and Brylin Armfield, pulled away in the fourth and fifth innings to get the win.
In the first, Pettijohn was plunked, as was Armfield. Pettijohn pulled off a successful delayed steal of third. Beatrix Bowden grounded out to score her to make it 1-0.
The score stood up until the fourth inning, when Ava Rinehart crushed a one out triple to the wall in right center. Jaxcynn Hansel reached on an error to score her and knot the game up at 1-1.
But just as it looked like North Harrison was ready to move beyond its late game fade jobs, Wylie McKinnon singled and Kamryn Miller was plunked. Bailey Atkins grounded out to advance them, and Gracy Davis grounded out to score McKinnon. Miller scored on a passed ball to make it 3-1.
The bottom dropped out in the fifth when the two headed monster of Pettijohn and Armfield came up again. Kenzie Pettijohn walked and Armfield proved herself to be a ball magnet, getting plunked again. Once again, Pettijohn pulled off the delayed steal of third and this time, North Harrison threw it away to score her and make it 4-1. Beatrix Bowden singled, and two walks forced in a run to make it 5-1. Later, Gracy Davis grounded out to score a run and a Shamrock error led to another to make it 7-1.
Pettijohn hit a pop fly single to start the sixth and then Armfield was plunked for the third time in the game. Bowden walked and Pettijohn scored on a wild pitch. Wylie McKinnon singled in two more to make it 10-1 before time expired. The Shamrocks had to lick their wounds and figure out how to keep the momentum going as they had a tough North Andrew squad to play.
North Andrew 11, North Harrison 4
North Harrison once again got off to a promising start when Carmon Fordyce hit a squib down the third base line for a scratch hit and Ava Rinehart doubled off the right field wall to put runners on second and third. Jaxcynn Hansel singled to center to put the Shamrocks up 2-0 and took second on a wild pitch. Kayka Wilson reached on an error as Hansel scored to make it 3-0.
At that point, things looked promising as North Harrison’s outburst prompted an early mound visit from North Andrew’s coach. But just like Worth County, fatigue from having played three games began to set in and a walk parade loaded up the bases, something you can’t do against the potent Cardinal lineup. Piper Cook singled to score two to make it 3-2 and took third on an unsuccessful throw to third. Walks lead to errors and sure enough, an error led to two more runs. Emery McClintock singled home another run to put North Andrew in front 5-3 before North Harrison was able to pick her off to prevent further damage.
Lillian Richardson reached in the second when a third strike got away, and she stole second. Gracie Wilmes singled her home to make it 6-3. Carmon Fordyce made a diving catch at second to prevent further damage.
In the Cardinal fourth, Richardson singled to center, stole second, and took third on a wild pitch. Teigan Miller singled her home to make it 7-3.
North Harrison got one back in the fifth when Carmon Fordyce doubled off the left field wall. Addison Milligan singled to center to cut it to 7-4.
But the wheels came off in the fifth when four walks and three errors led to four Cardinal runs to put the game away 11-4. The eight walks were too much to overcome.
No comments:
Post a Comment