Izzy Burger Drives in Three as Pattonsburg Stuns Albany

Pattonsburg was in a three-game winning streak, but they had played a game which was forgettable for both sides against North Harrison as the Panthers made 18 errors, the Shamrocks made 15, and Pattonsburg rallied to get a 22-17 win Tuesday, September 1st. Albany was the two-time defending GRC West champion and had no reason to expect otherwise this year. But they went into a tailspin following the Albany Tournament and dropped their next two, to Stanberry and South Harrison. The game was reminiscent of the Pattonsburg football team three years ago, who came into Albany at 1-6 and hung 92 points on the Warriors to get the win. They beat them a second time 50-0 to show it was no accident.

The Panthers got hits up and down the lineup as they cut down on their errors to three and completely outplayed Albany on their way to their fourth straight win. Isabella Burger had three hits and three RBI’s to carry the team. Addie Iddings, who somehow made it through the whole North Harrison donnybrook without walking a single batter out of the 44 she faced that game, once again did not walk a batter in the win.

Albany drew first blood when Karsley Booher reached second on an error. She took third on a wild pitch. Jayden Mitchell beat out an infield hit to score her and put Albany up 1-0.

Pattonsburg got the run back when Carly Pittsenbarger beat out a pop fly that dropped in behind second. Cheyanne Miller singled to center, and the ball got away, putting runners on second and third. Addie Iddings singled to right field to score Pittsenbarger, and Isabella Burger grounded out to score Miller to put Pattonsburg in front 2-1.

Albany got the run right back in its half of the third when Izzy Manville hit a shot into the left field corner and circled the bases to tie it at 2-2.

With one out in the Pattonsburg fourth, Vanessa Weigand shot a single between third and short. With two strikes on her, Emsleigh McCrary shot a single up the middle to put runners on first and second. Carly Pittsenbarger laid down a perfect bunt and beat it out to load the bases. Jayden Goble, with two strikes on her, singled, lofting it over second base to put Pattonsburg back in front 3-2.

Albany tied it up once again in the fifth when Ava Epperly beat out an infield hit. She stole second and the throw got away, putting her on third. Marly Hansel flied out to score her to make it 3-3.

Emsleigh McCrary shot a single just under the pitcher’s glove to start the Pattonsburg sixth. Carly Pittsenbarger lofted a perfect bunt over the hard-charging first baseman’s head, but Warrior pitcher Makena Moffat snagged it and reached first in time as McCrary took second. Cheyenne Miller grounded out in front of the plate to advance her to third. Jayden Goble singled to left to make it 4-3 and stole second. Addie Iddings tripled over the right fielder’s head and all the way to the wall as Goble scored to make it 5-3. Izzy Burger doubled to right to score Iddings to make it 6-3.

Pattonsburg had trouble protecting the lead against Stanberry in the tournament, and Albany threatened to follow suit in its half of the sixth when Jayden Hillyard reached on a bobble. Makenna Moffat flied out to Rosalynn Cameron in center, but Whitney Sterkis beat out an infield hit. But Hillyard tried to go first to third on the play, and first baseman Kaitlyn Estes threw a strike to Isabella Burger at third to erase her off the basepaths and kill the rally.

Emsleigh McCrary fought back from an 0-2 count to draw a walk in the Panther seventh. Carly Pittsenbarger reached on an error when she laid down a bunt, and the throw was in the dirt. Another error scored McCrary to make it 7-3. Jayden Goble was plunked to load the bases, and Izzy Burger singled to right to score Kiara Tucker (running for Pittsenbarger) to make it 8-3.

Three outstanding defensive plays kept Albany off the board in the final inning. Jayden Mitchell hit what appeared to be a drive for extra bases, but Vanessa Weigand ran it down in right field for the first out. Ava Epperly hit a carom off Addie Iddings’ glove, but Emsleigh McCrary, showing a lot of range at second, ran it down and threw her out. Viola Smith hit a carbon copy that McCrary snagged again for the third out.