Kambree Briner's Golf Swing Propels Tigers to Albany Tournament Title

Worth County’s softball girls overcame 90-degree heat and three tough foes to win the Albany Tournament. The Tigers were 4-0 going into their game with North Andrew on Tuesday. In the third game, against King City’s Cinderella run, it was Kambree Briner’s golf swing that turned into a base hit that started a rally that erased an early Wildkat lead and put the Tigers over the top.

Tigers 12, North Harrison 2

North Harrison put on a terrific rally against Worth County in the Jamboree two days earlier but had no such luck in the opener Saturday. Kambree Briner was safe when the second baseman bobbled her grounder with one out in the first. Kristen Tracy hit a shot off pitcher Hali Smith’s glove into center field, and Audrey Runde grounded into a force at third. But Jaxcynn Hansel threw away a double play try to score Tracy, and Megan Tracy singled to score Runde to make it 2-0.

Worth County added on in the second. Braelyn Fletchall walked and Keira Hardy singled. Brooklyn Smith got her first varsity hit, beating out a bunt like her sister Becca did many times during her career for the Tigers. Kaydence Downing grounded out to score Fletchall. Kambree Briner grounded into a force at home, but Kristen Tracy singled in a run to make it 4-0 after two.

In the fourth, Kaydence Downing got her first varsity hit, beating out an infield hit and reaching third when the Shamrocks threw it around. Kambree Briner singled to center to score her. Kristen Tracy and Audrey Runde walked to load the bases. Megan Tracy singled home two to make it 7-0 and stole second. Runde and Tracy both scored on wild pitches to make it 9-0. Braelyn Fletchall grounded out to score Addison Gray to make it 10-0. Kristen Tracy hit a shot off Jaxcynn Hansel’s glove that rolled into left for a base hit to make it 11-0. It might have gotten to 15 runs had not Hansel snagged Audrey Runde’s screamer to end the inning.

Kristen Tracy pitched four perfect innings to get the win. Megan Tracy pitched the fifth, and North Harrison finally got on the board as Hali Smith and Jaxcynn Hansel ended Worth County’s perfect game bid. Shayla Vandiver forced Smith, but Katherine Parkhurst reached after an error and Raegan Hogan’s slap hit was thrown away to score two to make it 11-2.

Megan Tracy nearly hit a home run, but got a triple off the right field wall, and an errant pickoff throw caromed off Braelyn Fletchall’s bat to bring home the decisive 12^th run.

Tigers 8, Stanberry 5

Worth County went down for the count in its second game but fought back to get an 8-5 win over Stanberry. The Bulldogs had just gotten a wild walkoff win over Pattonsburg to get into the semifinals, which turned out well for them as they were ready for a battle.

In the Stanberry first, Kynzee Adcock and Tasha Stoll singled and Emma Mattson grounded out to put runners on second and third with one out. Allie Schieber was safe on an error, scoring Adcock to make it 1-0. Kristen Tracy threw out Brooke Robinson on a bunt attempt, but Stoll crossed the plate to make it 2-0. Schieber scored on a wild pitch to make it 3-0.

Worth County got a run back in the second. Addison Gray walked and reached second on an errant pickoff throw. Keira Hardy singled her over to third. Hardy stole second. Gray stole home when Stanberry threw down to second on Hardy’s steal and tried to set up the cutoff at short to make it 3-1.

Addison Gray continued to be Worth County’s good-luck charm against Stanberry as she led off the Tiger fourth with a single. She stole second and took third on a wild pitch. Braelyn Fletchall walked. Keira Hardy grounded into a force at second, but Gray scored on the play to cut Stanberry’s lead to 3-2. Brooklyn Smith beat out her second bunt hit of the day, and the ball got away to put Hardy on third. Smith stole second. Kaydence Downing, a slap hitter, rifled a shot past the mound and into center for a base hit as two runs scored to put Worth County up 4-3.

But Stanberry doesn’t give up easily. With one out in the fifth, Allie Schieber walked. Brooke Robinson singled to put runners on first and third and stole second. Jaicee McGinley singled to score both runs to put Stanberry back up 5-4. But McGinley tried to take second on the throw home and was thrown out to swing the momentum back to the Tigers. Worth County threw out three different baserunners on the basepaths that day in the Stanberry and King City games.

Worth County was down to its last three outs with time expiring in the sixth, but Braelyn Fletchall singled and made it all the way to third when the ball got away. Keira Hardy grounded out to score her. Brooklyn Smith narrowly missed a home run, doubling off the wall in center. Kaydence Downing beat out a bunt to put Smith on third. Downing stole second. Kambree Briner grounded out to short to score Brooklyn to put Worth County back in front 6-5. After that play, Downing took off for third and was safe on a close play. Kristen Tracy hit a towering drive to center field. The center fielder seemingly had it measured for a catch when she got tangled up in the plastic fence and the ball caromed off her glove and over the fence for a home run to put Worth County up 8-5. Worth County worked around an error during Stanberry’s half of the inning to clinch the win.

Tiger 4, King City 3

Worth County overcame an early deficit against a team that had given them a lot of trouble last year to win the tournament. King City beat Gilman City 11-6 to start the day and beat Albany in extra innings to get to the final.

King City threatened early, getting runners at first and third with two outs in the first. But Audrey Runde threw a pickoff to Kristen Tracy at first base. The runner was safe, but the runner on third wandered too far off, and Tracy picked her off to end the inning. Worth County picked its second runner off in the second when a passed ball rolled away, but not enough to score, and catcher Audrey Runde threw a perfect pickoff throw to third for the out.

But things looked bad for the Tigers in the inning after Megan Tracy walked three to force in a run to make it 1-0. Kristen Tracy, who had pitched most of the first two games, came on in relief and walked another to put King City up 2-0, but then got Kinley Potter to ground out to end the threat.

Meanwhile, Worth County was over its head trying to catch up with freshman pitcher Tenley Parker, who was throwing heat all day.

The Tiger fourth looked more of the same after Kambree Briner got in the hole 0-2. But she took a golf swing at a pitch just out of the dirt and connected with a single to mount Worth County’s first real threat of the afternoon. Kristen Tracy doubled off the wall in left to score Briner. Audrey Runde singled and Tracy, who held up to make sure the ball wasn’t caught, took third. Megan Tracy singled to center to tie it at two. Audrey Runde bunted and was safe when the second baseman dropped the ball. Braelyn Fletchall singled in two to put Worth County up 4-2.

Brylin Armfield scored on a wild pitch to cut King City’s deficit to 4-3 in the fifth.

King City was down to its final out with a runner on first, but Allison Stone beat out a force play at second to keep the game going. There was a scary moment when Tiger pitcher Kristen Tracy tripped and fell over an auxiliary mound and the return throw got away, putting runners on second and third. But Brylin Armfield grounded out to Tracy to end the game.

For their efforts, the team was nominated as one of five teams for the Cliff's Notes Podcast Team of the Week.