The Bracken County Girl Bears confronted off towards the Montgomery Couny Girl Indians within the tenth area semifinals on Wednesday.
The Girl Indians acquired out forward of Bracken County early, scoring two runs within the backside of the primary on a wild pitch from Ella Johnson. The Girl Bears star pitcher rapidly centered herself and delivered three consecutive strikeouts to finish the inning. Montgomery County pitcher Ryleigh Martin fought laborious to maintain the Girl Bears again, placing out each Jordan Ahrens and Whitney Lippert swinging. Jalyn Hamilton’s first residence run as a senior put Bracken County on the scoreboard, after nailing a pitch over the fence in middle area.
“She threw properly, Martin threw properly. Jalyn’s been squaring the ball up all 12 months she’s hit into a whole lot of dangerous luck and he or she lastly acquired one throughout. Jalyn’s been nothing however a pleasure for us, she’s executed all the pieces we requested her to do.” mentioned Girl Bears head coach Tony Inexperienced.
Jalyn’s homer can be the one run scored by the Girl Bears till the underside of the seventh.
Within the backside of the third, Montgomery County responded with a pair of residence runs themselves. A single from Sara Zink would put a runner on base for the Girl Indians, and Zink can be batted in by a house run from Reaghan Oney hit into middle area. Madison Cox then additionally nailed a pitch over the middle area fence, to deliver the Girl Indians lead up 5-1.
All however three runs scored by Montgomery County got here from residence runs. The Girl Indians bats have been on hearth this sport, hammering 4 balls over the fence.
The Girl Indians third homer of the night time got here within the backside of the fifth, with Cox getting her second of the night time. Montgomery County’s final residence run and final run scored this sport got here within the backside of the sixth, with Taylor pate nailing a line drive over the fence in middle area.
“It’s a brief area, we knew that coming in, however that group can hit man, they will hit. Our women can hit too, I tip my hat to their pitcher she did an excellent job tonight, she threw a heck of a sport. The balls hit out on us have been floaters they only floated. The one ball I believe Reaghan hit was the one one I believe that ought to’ve went out. The remainder of them simply floated. Jordan, shes up on the fence, it goes off the tip of her glove and simply rolls over. Performs like that should you’re gonna win video games like this you want them to go your means.” mentioned coach Inexperienced.
Montgomery County led 7-1 over the Girl Bears heading into the highest of the seventh, and solely wanted three outs to maneuver to the championship spherical. Bracken County fought laborious all the way in which to the tip, getting two runners on base after a stroll from Martin despatched Lippert to first, and Kiersten Bess sending courtesy runner Savannah Kelsch to second on a bunt. Kelsch would make it residence to attain the Girl Bears second run of the night time on a single from Ava Tarter, however a strike out from Maddie Johnson would finish the sport, Bracken County down 7-2.
Bracken County had an impressive season this 12 months. The Girl Bears acquired off to a gradual begin, profitable simply 4 of their first ten video games. It wasn’t lengthy after their first loss to Montgomery County in April that the Girl Bears discovered their stride and commenced demonstrating their dominance.
The Girl Bears lose 5 seniors heading into the 2024 season, Jalyn Hamilton, Ava Tarter, Maddie Johnson, Kiersten Bess, and Gretchen Teegarden. All of whom have given all the pieces they needed to the group, and fought laborious to get this system the place it’s at the moment.
“Its robust, man. It’s robust any time you lose a senior, we lose 4 starters, Jalyn’s graduating she performed left, Maddie’s graduating she performed third, Ava was our DP, and Kiersten Bess is as strong because it comes at second. We’re shedding some fairly good ball gamers and anytime a senior graduates it’s robust to switch them, and these women are gonna be further laborious. We’ve acquired a reasonably deep bench, we acquired some women over there that may play.” mentioned coach Inexperienced.
Coach Inexperienced and the Girl Bears are going to take a pair months off to get better from this season, and can quickly be again collectively to arrange for subsequent 12 months.
“We’re not gonna give up preventing as a result of we’re not gonna be any worse subsequent 12 months. We’re gonna be simply nearly as good. Our women had nearly as good an opportunity to win the area as anyone in it. We acquired the pitching, we acquired the protection, at any time when our lineup hits by way of and thru, there’s no person gonna be higher than us, we simply couldn’t put it collectively tonight.” mentioned coach Inexperienced.
LADY INDIANS 7, LADY BEARS 2
HR (MC) Cox 2, Oney, Pate (BC) Hamilton
R (MC) Zink 2, Oney 2, Cox 2, Pate (BC) Hamilton, Kelsch
RBI (MC) Oney 2, Cox 2, Pate (BC) Hamilton, Tarter
RECORDS- Girl Indians 32-5, Girl Bears 24-13