Earth Sod Farms battles back to take Jr. League crown
In took two games to decide the girls 11- and 12-year-old fast-pitch tournament championship, but Saturday Earth Sod Farms clinched the tournament title with an 8-5 win over regular season champions McKinley’s Chiropractic.
Earth Sod Farms came out of the losers’ bracket and defeated McKinley’s Friday night 4-3 to force Saturday’s game.
Saturday, Earth Sod Farms scored one run in the first when Ashley Welcome started things off with a single. Cassandra Johnson and Kayla Bowdoin followed with singles to give Earth Sod the early lead. McKinley’s answered in its half of the inning when Kallie Haley walked and Tessa King tripled to make it a 1-1 game.
Earth Sod pushed two more runs across in the second. Samantha Paz walked, Alex Johnson singled then Shelby Knowles tripled to right to give Earth Sod a 3-1 lead.
In the fourth Earth Sod’s lead-off hitter, Shelby Holland, reached with a single to center. Knowles singled to score Holland for a 4-1 lead.
McKinley’s made things interesting in the bottom of the fourth by tying the game at 4-4. Haley singled, King singled and Anastasia Chisam tripled before scoring on an error.
In the top of the fifth, Earth Sod took control scoring four runs. Four singles an error and fielder choice gave Earth Sod an 8-4 lead. McKinley’s had one runner reach base from a walk but that was all they could manage in the bottom of the fifth.
McKinley’s tried to fight back in the bottom of the sixth inning with but scored only one run. Cassie Wanamaker started the inning off with a double, Haley doubled to score Wanamaker but solid defense and pitching by Jessica Mullican preserved the win.
For Earth Sod Farms, Ashley Johnson had three hits, Welcome, Bowdoin, Alex Johnson and Knowles had two hits each. Mullican and Shelby Holland added one hit each. For McKinley’s, King had three hits, Haley collected two hits, Wanamaker and Chisam added one hit each.
• In Friday night’s game, Earth Sod scored two runs in the first and one run in the second to take a 3-0 lead going into the top of the fourth. McKinley’s scored one run in the fourth with back to back doubles by Wanamaker and Haley. McKinley’s tied the game in the top of the sixth sending two runs across the plate. Two walks and hits from Chancerie Martin and Haley made it a 3-3 game. Earth Sod’s Jessica Mullican singled then Bowdoin singled to score Mullican for the win.
For Earth Sod, Welcome, Mullican and Alex Johnson had two hits each. Cassandra Johnson, Bowdoin and Shelby Holland added one hit each. For McKinley’s, Haley had two hits, Martin and Wanamaker added one hit each.
• Thursday night, Earth Sod held Smokey Joe’s to three hits in the loser’s bracket finals for the 11-0 win to advance to the finals on Friday night.
Earth Sod scored two runs in the second, seven runs in the fifth and two runs in the sixth for the win. For Earth Sod, Welcome, Johnson and Samantha Paz had two hits each. Bowdoin, Holland, Sarah Jones and Marcy Estes picked up one hit each. For Smokey Joe’s, Kassidy Kominos, Chelsea Vaughn and Kelcy Tate had one hit each.
• Thursday Smokey Joe’s defeated K&R Vending 3-1 to advance to the finals of the loser’s bracket. Smokey Joe’s scored three runs in the bottom of the first and K&R only run came in the top of the sixth. For Smokey Joe’s, Kala Vance, Megan Rhea and Chelsea Vaughn had one hit each. For K&R, Brittany Ferrell had two hits, Kaitom Tanner and Leah Montgomery added one hit each.