Three wins needed to capture title
Smarty Pants had to fight its way out of the loser’s bracket Thursday night to win the Girls Junior 9-10 year-old softball tournament championship.
In the championship game, Smarty Pants put three runs across the plate in the first inning with Leah Steakley leading off with a home run. Hits from Allison Chilton, Chancerie Martin, Ashley Ashburn and Therese Miller gave them the early lead, but Blockbuster bounced back with Amber Ray picking up a single and scoring on an RBI single from Peyton Scruggs to make it a 3-1 game.
Smarty Pants picked up five more runs in the top of the second off six base hits. Kayla Turner started the rally with a single to right, Olivia Majors singled to put runners at the corners. Chilton picked up a two-RBI double and Rose Hernandez and Danielle Miller finished the inning with one hit and one RBI each to put Smarty Pants on top 8-1.
Blockbuster was held scoreless in the second but picked up two runs in the third. Smantha Paz led off with a triple, Ashley Drake singled to drive in Paz and Cecilia Manuel singled to drive in Drake, making it a 8-3 ball game going into the top of the fourth.
Smarty Pants put the game out of reach in the top of the fourth with seven runs crossing the plate. Steakley led off the inning followed by three base hits, then Martin homered with three RBIs. Roland, Hernandez and Miller added singles to give Smarty Pants a 15-3 lead.
Blockbuster’s Ariel Drake led of the bottom of the fourth with a home run but that was all her team could put together as the game was called due to the 10-run rule for a 15-4 win and give Smarty Pants the title.
Earlier Thursday, Smarty Pants scored 31 runs as Blockbuster put just 19 on the board to force a second game to decide the championsh.
For Blockbuster, Samantha Paz led the way with four hits, Ariel Drake, Laura Beth McKinley, Amber Ray, Peyton Scruggs, Ashley Drake and Cecilia Manuel had three hits each. Briana Finger had two and Lara Rigsby added one hit. Drake, Ray and Ashley Drake had one homer each.
For Smarty Pants, Chancerie Martin had a perfect night with five hits and three home runs. Allison Chilton had five hits and one homer, Therse Miller, Ashlie Roland and Rose Hernandez had five hits each. Olivia Majors had four hits, Leah Steakley and Kayla Turner had three hits each.
Smarty Pants downed Taco Bell in the first game of the night 12-10. For Taco Bell, Laura Kate Haley, Toye Majors and Osheanna Smith had three hits each with Smith hitting a home run in the fifth. Leah Montgomery, Sarah Colangoine, Marci Estes, Haley Teeters and Kala Milanovich had two hits each. Taylor Thomas added one hit.
For Smarty Pants, Chancerie Martin and Allison Chilton had three hits each with Chilton homering in the third inning. Olivia Majors, Ashley Ashburn and Rose Hernandez had two hits each. Leah Steakley, Kayla Turner, Therse Miller, Ashlie Roland and Danielle Miller collected one hit each.