Led by the bat and the pitching of Tenley Griffith, Gilman City salvaged their last two games of the George Scurlock Tournament in Princeton Saturday and made strides along the way, even though the scoreboard didn't always show it. They won their 13th and 14th games of the year, assuring themselves of a winning season for the second year in a row. The focus of the team this year was learning to hit fast pitching, and they finally started doing it as the tournament progressed.
After struggling for many years to even put a team on the field, struggling to win more than two games, and struggling to finish seasons, the Hawks have finally managed to turn things around. Starting with 2020, the COVID-19 year, the Hawks surprised everyone by turning around a dormant program by winning nine games that year and going 9-8. They won 12 games two years ago, 13 games last year with a winning season, and have 14 and counting this year. They have won their third straight HDC conference title. The Hawks have a strong junior high contingent coming up, so there is no reason to think it won't continue.
Last year, the Hawks won two games in a JV tournament at Putnam County; the MSHSAA website lists them as JV games.
The week started off inauspiciously as the Hawks played a good game defensively, only committing three errors against a solid Putnam County team, but they only managed three hits in a 3-2 loss. They finally got going in the bottom of the seventh, scoring both their runs. Tenley Griffith had two hits and Khloey Sperry one. Griffith had a triple and a stolen base and did all she could with her arm as well, striking out a career-high 13 batters.
Pitted against the host Princeton Tigers in the first game of the tournament Saturday, they jumped all over them in the first three innings, building a 5-0 lead. But Princeton drew the #2 seed in districts for a reason, they bounced right back to tie it in the fourth and walk it off in the fifth to win 7-6.
Avery Gregg had two hits. Khloey Sperry, Alli Burke, Kayleece Puls, and Emily Chalfant each had one. Alli Burke had a double, Avery Gregg had a triple, and Avery Gregg, Ellie Smith, Khloey Sperry, and Tenley Griffith each stole a base.
In the second game, Lathrop jumped all over Gilman City early and often, scoring seven in the first and never looked back in getting a 14-3 win. Alli Burke and Caitlynn Chalfant were bright spots for the Hawk lineup, getting two hits each. Hailey McClure added one. Chalfant had a double. Avery Gregg had a steal.
There was no rest for the weary as the Hawks had to play a rapidly improving Maysville squad, which gave Worth County all it could handle two nights previously. When Ellyette Sobotka reached on an error and stole second, it looked like another long game for the Hawks. Savannah Moyer reached on a dropped third strike as Sobotka took third and then Sobotka scored on a passed ball as Moyer took second. Madi DeShon reached second on an error as Moyer scored to make it 2-0. Sam Gripka grounded out as DeShon took third. Yet another Hawk error allowed Skylar Nalle to reach third and DeShon to score to make it 3-0. It looked like the Wolverines were well on their way.
But after playing one of their worst innings of the year, the Hawks turned around and played five of the best innings they've played all year, starting with the bottom of the first. Khloey Sperry turned on the first strike she saw, singling to start the frame. Sperry stole second and Avery Gregg singled her home to cut the deficit to 3-1. Tenley Griffith hit a line drive over the right field fence for a home run, and all of a sudden, the Hawks were back in the fight, tied at 3-3.
Aurora Sweiger stretched a single into a double to start the Wolverine second, but Tenley Griffith struck out Paisley McClamroch. Ellyette Sobotka grounded to Kayleece Puls, who cut down Sweiger trying to advance to third. Griffith struck out Moyer to get the Hawks out of the inning. Maysville threatened again in the third, loading the bases with two outs. But then Gentry Sweiger tried to score on a passed ball and was thrown out stealing and the game remained tied.
Tenley Griffith grounded out to start the Hawk third, but then the error bug started to bite Maysville as Alli Burke reached on a dropped pop fly. She stole second and Kayleece Puls doubled to break the tie and put Gilman City up 4-3. Parker Crabtree reached on an error as Puls took third. Crabtree stole second and Kayleece Puls later scored on a passed ball as Crabtree took third. Caitlynn Chalfant flied out to right to score Crabtree to make it 6-3.
Maysville had more traffic in the fourth as Aurora Sweiger reached on an error, Ellyette Sobotka walked, and they took second and third on a passed ball with one out. But Tenley Griffith struck out Savannah Moyer and Gentry Sweiger grounded out to end the threat.
The Wolverines finally broke through in the fifth inning when Ashlyn Clark singled in Skylar Nalle to cut it to 6-4.
But then Gilman City got the bottom of their order to come through as Kayleece Puls singled to right and Parker Crabtree beat out an infield hit to put runners on first and second to start their half of the fifth. Caitlynn Chalfant grounded into a fielder's choice. Maysville tried to get the force at third, but Puls beat it out and everybody was safe. Hailey McClure flied out to center as Puls scored, Parker Crabtree took third, and Caitlynn Chalfant took second. Ellie Smith singled in Parker Crabtree as Caitlynn Chalfant took third. Ellie Smith stole second and the lineup turned over as Khloey Sperry beat out an infield hit. Caitlynn Chalfant scored to make it 9-4 and Ellie Smith took third. Sperry stole second and Tenley Griffith doubled home two more to make it 11-4.
The Hawks grabbed their school record 14th win with their last game of the afternoon, downing a dangerous La Plata squad 9-5. The Bulldogs had been streaky all year; they are capable of beating anyone on a given day and capable of losing to anyone on a given day. They dropped a game to South Shelby (2-20) one day, only to turn around and beat them 27-1 later the same day. They have broken the 10-run barrier nine times and the 20-run barrier four times. On the same day as this game, they beat Albany 3-1.
Gilman City manufactured a run in the top of the first when Khloey Sperry reached on a dropped third strike. She stole second and third and scored on Tenley Griffith's sac fly to make it 1-0.
But then La Plata manufactured one of their own when Emmagin Travis reached on a bunt single. Ashlynn Lewis singled her to second and stole second. Travis scored on a passed ball to tie it at 1-1. Layne Mack grounded out to the mound as Lewis took third. Hannah Mitchell grounded out to score Lewis to put the Bulldogs in front 2-1. Two more errors threatened one of those snowball innings that La Plata has relied on all year, but Tenley Griffith struck out Macy Davidson after a long battle and the Hawks were still breathing.
Both teams went quietly in the second, but with one out in the third, Khloey Sperry reached on an error and stole second. Avery Gregg singled home Sperry to tie it at 2-2 and went to second on the unsuccessful throw home. Gregg took third on a passed ball and Tenley Griffith reached on a four-pitch walk. Griffith stole second and then Avery Gregg scored on a passed ball as Griffith took third. Alli Burke reached on an error as Tenley scored to make it 4-2. Kayleece Puls flied out for the second out, but then Burke stole second and Parker Crabtree reached on an error as Burke scored from second to make it 5-2.
Gilman City got two batters out to start the Bulldog third as Avery Gregg made a catch in center. But then Tenley Griffith walked Layne Mack to keep the inning going. Walks lead to runs and sure enough, Hannah Mitchell doubled and Emma Ralston singled to cut it to 5-4 and the dangerous La Plate bats were coming to life. Ralston stole second and third and the tying run was 60 feet away. Macy Davidson hit a tricky grounder in front of the plate, but catcher Khloey Sperry threw her out and the Hawks were still in front.
The Bulldogs needed to get the eighth and ninth batters out in order to neutralize the heart of the Gilman City order, but that was not forthcoming as Emily Chalfant walked after being down in the count 1-2. Walks lead to runs and sure enough, Ellie Smith hit a pop fly single over second and Hailey McClure (running for Chalfant) scrambled safely to second. Khloey Sperry hit another pop fly that was just beyond the reach of the La Plate infielders and the bases were loaded.
The table was set and Avery Gregg turned on the first pitch she saw, singling to right field to score Ellie Smith and Hailey McClure. Sperry took third and Gregg second on the throw home to make it 7-4. Tenley Griffith singled to right to score Gregg and Sperry to make it 9-4.
Hailey McClure, who came in as a pinch runner in the top of the fourth, played lights-out defense in the bottom half, catching a line drive and a fly ball in left field. Khloey Sperry added a catch behind the plate to keep La Plata off the board. McClure once again carried the Hawks down the stretch; after La Plata used a double and an error to cut the lead to 9-5, she made a hustle play, snagging Hannah Mitchell's pop fly in foul territory for the second out. Caitlynn Chalfant snagged Emma Ralston's grounder for the final out to limit the damage.
Kayleece Puls made a catch in the field in the sixth as the Hawks worked around an error to lead off the inning.
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