Sean C. Morgan
In a seven-inning nail-biter, Sweet Home ended its softball season with a 7-6 loss to Corbett in a state play-in game Thursday, May 21, at home.
The Huskies scored the first pair of runs in the tight contest after holding off Corbett, 8-7 in the Tri-Valley Conference and 18-9 overall.
“We started hitting right off the bat,” said catcher Mckenzie Cochran. “We made some really good plays, and we got some people out at home plate.”
One of those was in the top of the first when, with two Corbett runners on, one runner tried to score on an overthrow to third but was tagged out at home by Madi Barringer coming in from first base in a slick bit of teamwork for the Huskies.
In the bottom of the inning, Sierra Thayer and Ally Tow got things started with a pair of runs for Sweet Home.
Both teams were scoreless in the second inning, Tow striking out the Cardinals’ last batter to retire the side. Maddee Hawken walked and reached second, but nobody could score her.
In the top of the third, Corbett put three runs on the scoreboard, starting with a soaring shot to right by freshman Faith McQueen to score one. Tow struck out McKenna Stafford, and then Nicole Herge doubled to left to score McQueen and tie the game. One more run gave the Cardinals a 3-2 lead going into the bottom of the inning.
The Huskies scored a pair of runs to retake the lead 4-3.
Corbett answered again in the fifth, leading 5-4, but the Huskies wouldn’t give up, retaking the lead 6-5, with Caytlin Gillespie scoring Tow on a shot to left field.
In the top of six, McQueen hit a triple to drive in one runner and then scored when the next batter sent a shot through the gap in left field, a favored target for the Cardinals that afternoon.
Trailing 7-6, Cochran reached third, and Gillespie reached second, both ready score on two outs. Makenna Melbye grounded out to third to finish the game.
Gillespie collected four hits on the game. Cochran and Natalie Thorpe each hit the ball twice, Tow with two RBIs and a triple. Tow and Britney Zook each hit once, Tow with two RBIs and a triple.
“It was definitely a good game,” said Coach Shane Cochran. “We were pretty much equals.”
The Huskies committed three errors in the game, which hurt them, Cochran said.
“Each time those errors happened, they scored two. That was the big difference. We did score off an error too.”
Pitching, Tow gave up only two earned runs, Cochran said, while walking two, giving up eight hits and striking out five.
“They just got good base hits, and when it came down to the final inning, we just didn’t get the base hits we wanted,” Gillespie said. She said the Huskies played well defensively, although committing a few errors. It really came down to getting base hits which, unfortunately, didn’t happen.
“We started off really strong,” said Mckenzie Cochran. “We started hitting pretty good. We really didn’t do anything wrong. We started hitting right off the bat. We made some really good plays, and we got some people out at home plate.”
The Huskies had errors, but so did Corbett, she said.
“We kept competing,” Gillespie said. “Throughout the season, that’s what we wanted to do. We were. When they got runs, we responded and got runs.”
Gillespie and Cochran were both happy with their season overall.
“I didn’t expect to make it to the playoffs or anything because we were so young,” Cochran said. “I”m really happy with how far we made it and how much our team improved from the first game to the last game. I’m really proud of this team. We really came together in the end.”
“I feel good,” Shane Cochran said. “I think we went a little further than we were expecting.”
The team had some obstacles to overcome this season, the major one being the loss of freshman pitcher Brianna Hoffman, who broke her leg shortly before the season began.
Ally Tow and Sarita Zanona had to unexpectedly step up and fill that role. With their inexperience on the rubber, the Huskies planned to rely on strong hitting to overpower opponents. It worked all season long as they finished second in league with an 11-4 record behind Elmira, 15-0. The Huskies were 15-7 overall.
Cochran estimated the team probably had nine hits per game throughout the season.
Gillespie said the Huskies responded to adversity.
“I thought our team did great,” she said. “I thought it was great of Sarita and Ally to step up and become pitchers for our team. I think Ally, as a freshman, stepped up. I thought she did great for being a freshman.”
“She did well for the whole season for not knowing she was going to pitch,” Cochran said.
“I thought the entire season was great,” Gillespie said. The Huskies wanted to be league champions, but all season long, they came together and competed as a team.
“Like anyone, I would like to go into the playoffs more, but I am very happy with my senior season and all that came out of it,” Gillespie said.
Corbett 003 022 0 – 7 8 3
Sweet Home 202 020 0 – 6 10 3