Each game in women’s Church League action Tuesday at Warren County Fairgrounds came down the final at-bat, including one that featured a play at the plate to end the game.
Madison Street was able to hold on to a 10-9 victory over Covenant while Church Girls made a big defensive play to defeat Centertown 9-6.
Back-to-back RBI doubles in the top of the seventh inning by Kelly Smartt and Kayley Murray pushed Madison Street into a 10-7 lead over Covenant Tuesday night, but things were just getting interesting.
Covenant loaded the bases in the final inning with two outs while trailing by two, then Natasha Elrod came through with a single that made it 10-9.
With the bases juiced, Kenya Steakley came to the plate with a chance to provide the game-winning hit. Instead, Steakley hit a grounder and Madison Street tossed home to get Veronica Stepien out before she could cross the plate for the tying run.
Covenant held the lead through five innings, getting RBI singles from Elrod, Peggy Melton, Sally Slatton, Tenara Martin and Teresa Hasting early.
Madison Street took its first lead in the sixth inning when the team scored three runs, most coming on Tonya Swann’s two-run single. It was part of a three-hit night for Swann as she, Smartt and Becky Medlen led Madison Street in hitting. Elrod went 5-for-5 in a losing effort for Covenant.
Church Girls used early hitting and great defense late to pick up a win over Centertown. Church Girls scored four runs in the second, then duplicated the feat in the fourth before turning a game-ending double play to seal the deal.
Worm Smith’s three-run double in the second put Church Girls ahead 5-3 after two innings, but Centertown knotted the score in the top of the fourth on a two-run double by Nadine Winfree.
Church Girls answered back with four runs in the bottom of the fourth. Ashlee Malone, Kayla Medley and Hailey Muncey knocked in runs with singles to push the lead back to 9-5 entering the final stages of the game.
The score would stay the same until the seventh, when Centertown started its final surge.
Winfree doubled with one out to put a runner aboard, then Shawna Judkins and Jessica Jones followed with singles. Jones’ single scored Winfree to make it 9-6 with one out and runners on first and second.
Heather Wilson came to the plate as the tying run, but she would end up being one of the final outs. Wilson lofted a shot into right-center field, where Medley was waiting. Medley snagged the fly ball just as Judkins headed to third. Medley fired a throw to Ty Ramirez that was on the money as Ramirez tagged Judkins for the final out.
Erica Chavez led Church Girls with three hits while Emily Lopez finished with a team-high three hits for Centertown.