There was no shortage of drama Monday night in the girls 7-8 coach-pitch league. Each of the night’s two games at Pete Holt Field were decided by one run, with the league’s top team falling in the first contest.
Keepsake Catering pulled off the big upset by beating Foust Construction 12-11. Big Mo’s, the league’s second-place team, gained ground in the standings in the second game when it was able to hold off First National Bank 10-9.
Keepsake Catering broke a 10-10 tie in the top of the fifth inning when Tinslee Tanner and Lataya Johnson scored on a RBI double by Maddie Smith. Keepsake Catering had a chance to add more runs, but Foust Construction avoided falling behind by more by recording the final out of the inning with the bases loaded.
Any comeback for Foust Construction looked bleak when the league-leading squad started the bottom of the fifth inning with back-to-back outs, but Mia Hobbs provided a glimmer of hope with a two-out single.
Jessie Young followed with a single of her own before Brooklyn Cope blasted a double into the outfield. Hobbs scored with ease from second, but Young was tagged out trying to score the tying run as the game ended in thrilling fashion.
Foust Construction opened a 5-0 lead in the first inning behind hits from Hobbs, Young, Cope, Bella Stiles and Brianna Harris.
Keepsake Catering rallied back with four runs in the second inning as Tanner, Johnson, Kaylen Jacobs and Jaylnn Jordan all singled and scored.
The back-and-forth battle continued with Foust Construction scoring two runs in the second innings on hits by Stiles, Young and Cope before Keepsake Catering countered with three runs in the third inning courtesy of a RBI double by Zoie Conner and RBI singles by Jazlynn Ward and Tanner.
Going into the bottom of the third inning tied 7-7, Brookelyn George broke the tie with a RBI single for Foust Construction.
The lead finally flip-flopped in the fourth inning when Caitlin Washer, Alexus Moore and Hailey Simpson all had RBIs to push Keepsake Catering up 10-8.
Abby Sullivan would knot the game with a RBI single in the bottom of the fourth inning for Foust Construction, setting up the fantastic finish for Keepsake Catering.
Big Mo’s continued the exciting action by scoring four runs in the top of the fifth inning and holding First National Bank to one run in the bottom of the frame to win its seventh game.
Big Mo’s trailed 8-6 entering the final inning, but the team rallied when its team started the fifth with four straight singles. Alyssa Mosley, Annabelle Reinitz, Jenna Newby and Lily Ann Smith all singled, and ultimately scored, in the final inning. Kimberly Ortega and Isabelle Pennington added RBI singles to give Big Mo’s the lead for good.
First National Bank had a chance to win when Trisley Scruggs hit a RBI single to cut the deficit to 10-9, but the game ended with a pop out as Scruggs stood on second and Sadie Duggin sat on first.
First National Bank fell to 4-6 despite four hits from Kyren Damon and three hits apiece by Scruggs and Layla Bouldin. Duggin, Raelyn Moore, Kyra Perkins, Kristin Bost, Karigan Bost and Makalie Hobbs finished with two hits each.
Mosley, Reinitz and Smith led Big Mo’s with three hits apiece. Newby, Ortega, Pennington, Mary Grace Martin, Trinity Eckel, Bella Bain and Loren Hinshaw also had hits for Big Mo’s in the victory.