Two days after getting a key hit in Worth County's 10-3 win over Pattonsburg, Riley Ridge struck again, this time going 4 for 7 Saturday at the North Harrison Tournament with four steals. Moved back to the top of the lineup for Saturday's games, Ridge delivered, putting pressure on opposing defenses and stealing bases at will as the Tigers won the North Harrison Tournament. Four other Tiger batters had three hits that day and the top nine players had at least one.
In run production (runs + RBI), the numbers were just as spread out. Addison Gray and Rylee Ruckman produced five runs and four other Tigers produced four. Kristen Tracy carried the team on her shoulders defensively as she pitched 10 innings, giving up 6 hits, 2 runs (0 earned), 2 walks, and 4 strikeouts, generating a lot of soft contact.
Tigers 8, South Harrison JV 2
It took Worth County a while to break through against a stingy Bulldog squad, but they finally pulled away late to get the win. Kambree Briner reached on a dropped fly ball, took third on a passed ball, and scored on a wild pitch in the first inning to make it 1-0. That was the only run scored for either side for the next few innings. Worth County was hitting the ball but hitting it right at people as South Harrison pitcher Molly Bottcher was generating a lot of soft contact.
In the second, Bottcher doubled down the left field line to lead off the inning. Emily Taggart grounded out and Kaylor Robinson popped out to Megan Tracy. Slap hitter Keeleigh Gilpatrick hit a pop fly that died between the mound and shortstop before anyone could catch it and took a knuckle ball bounce for a scratch hit. But Kristen Tracy struck out Cally Weller to end the threat.
A pair of long at bats by Keira Hardy and Rayleigh Smith turned the tide. Hardy saw 13 pitches and fouled seven of them off before striking out. Autumn Cousatte fouled off 13 pitches one time during her playing days. Smith fouled off some more pitches before finally striking out. But that seemed to wake the team out of its slumber as they finally started timing up Bottcher. Riley Ridge apparently struck out, but the ball got away for a dropped third strike and the inning was still alive. Ridge stole second. Kambree Briner apparently grounded out for the third out, but the first baseman dropped it and Ridge scored from second to make it 2-0. Kristen Tracy followed with a triple into the right center field gap to make it 3-0.
With one out in the sixth, Addison Gray hit a pop fly single that dropped in for a base hit and stole second, beating the throw with a head-first slide. Rylee Ruckman had another long at-bat before singling to left. South Harrison threw home to keep Gray from scoring and Ruckman took second. Keira Hardy singled to right to score Gray and Ruckman to make it 4-0.
Worth County should have been out of the South Harrison sixth, but a dropped fly ball with two outs in the inning kept it alive and Lilly Wiley scored. Molly Bottcher doubled to score Jaycee Glenn to make it 5-2.
But Riley Ridge got the Tigers back on track when she beat out a slow roller, stole second, and took third on a wild pitch. Kambree Briner grounded out to score her. Kristen Tracy hit one into the hole at shortstop and beat it out. Audrey Runde singled to left to put runners on first and second. Megan Tracy forced Runde at second. Addison Gray doubled to left center to score Kristen Tracy. Megan Tracy scored on a wild pitch to make it 8-2.
Emily Taggart singled to start the South Harrison seventh. Kaylor Robinson hit what looked like a base hit, but Rylee Ruckman made a diving stole and threw to Briner at second to force Taggart. Audrey Runde then picked off Robinson for the second out. Keeleigh Gilpatrick hit a screamer, but right at Keira Hardy for the final out.
Tigers 10, North Harrison 7
Worth County got off to a rocky start against North Harrison, falling behind 5-0, but they came back to get the win to secure the trophy. North Harrison played much better than the last time they played Worth County, cutting down on their errors, and only committing two. But Worth County committed none and climbed right back into the game before pulling ahead.
Addison Milligan walked to start the game and Hali Smith singled to right. Rayliegh Smith tried to cut down Milligan going first to third, but she was safe as Smith took second. Milligan scored on a wild pitch to make it 1-0 and Lani Briggs doubled to right center to make it 2-0. Briggs took third on a wild pitch. Ava Rinehart hit a pop fly that shortstop Rylee Ruckman raced over to the first base side to take. Raegan Hogan's pop fly dropped into right field to score Hali Smith. Jaxcynn Hansel hit a pop fly in front of the plate and Audrey Runde raced in front of it to snag it for the second out. Kathryn Parkhurst walked and took second on a wild pitch as Megan Tracy started fighting the strike zone. Andi Nail singled to score Hogan. Becca Welling walked and Addison Milligan singled to right to make it 5-0. Hali Smith hit a drive to deep right field. Rayleigh Smith lost it in the sun at first and nearly lost her footing, but she snagged it for the third out.
Once again, Riley Ridge carried the Tigers on her shoulders as she tapped one in front of the plate and beat Hali Smith's throw for a base hit. She stole second. North Harrison nearly got out of the inning as Kambree Briner hit a screamer snagged by Jaxcynn Hansel at third and Kristen Tracy hit another screamer that Becca Welling backhanded for the second out.
But Audrey Runde hit a hard shot that shortstop Addison Milligan knocked down but had no play on. Megan Tracy walked, and Addison Gray was plunked to force in a run to make it 5-1. Rylee Ruckman walked to force in another run to make it 5-2. Keira Hardy singled in two more and another run scored when the throw home got away to tie it at 5-5.
North Harrison got two more runs in the second but ran its way out of more. Lani Briggs singled, and Ava Rinehart and Raegan Hogan walked, chasing Megan Tracy. Jaxcynn Hansel hit a shot right at Kambree Briner at second, who doubled Ava Rinehart off second. Kathryn Parkhurst singled off Keira Hardy's glove at third to score Hogan and Briggs to make it 7-5. But Parkhurst tried to take second on the throw home and Audrey Runde gunned her down for the third out.
Riley Ridge got a carbon copy of her first hit, beating out a tap in front of the plate to start the second. Kambree Briner advanced her to second with a groundout and Kristen Tracy singled to left center field to score her to make it 7-6. Center fielder Hali Smith made a running catch of Megan Tracy's drive in left field to preserve the Shamrock lead.
Hali Smith came in to try to protect the lead, but Addison Gray walked, stole second, and took third on a wild pitch. Rylee Ruckman walked and stole second. Rayleigh Smith hit a shot behind first that landed fair and both runners scored to give Worth County the lead for the first time at 8-7. Kristen Tracy singled to score Smith and make it 9-7.
Worth County made a couple of tricky plays to preserve the lead in the Shamrock fourth. Third baseman Keira Hardy lost Ava Rinehart's pop fly in the sun but located it in time to get the out. There was another heartstopping moment when shortstop Rylee Ruckman's throw was in the dirt, but first baseman Megan Tracy dug it out for the final out.
Megan Tracy caught hold of a high pitch and crushed a double to left field. She took third on a wild pitch and came home when Rylee Ruckman hit a shot off Hali Smith. The ball rolled to Jaxcynn Hansel at third, and she made a great play on the ball to get Ruckman at first, but Tracy scored to make it 10-7. As the Tigers were batting, the game was called due to the 75-minute time limit.
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