Another Saturday slow-pitch game between Team Rage and X-treme featured two teams who did not want to walk away with a loss. It took nine total innings to declare a winner and unfortunately for Warren County Rage, it was on the wrong side of the run total. X-treme defeated Rage, 20-17.
At the end of the seventh with the score knotted at 12-12, X-treme went up to the plate after holding Team Rage scoreless in the bottom of the seventh. In the top of the eighth, Team Rage returned the favor and X-treme went scoreless. Two runners were able to make it around to third base for X-treme but no one found a way past third before the final out ended the inning.
In the bottom of the eighth, Team Rage picked up a pair of singles and a walk by Allison Fann, Haven Trapp, and Kathryn Stiles with Fann getting caught at second on a fielder’s choice. The next two batters went for back-to-back outs to end the inning and the score remained 12-12 at the end of eight.
The top of the ninth inning was a big inning for each team. X-treme posted an eight-run top of the ninth. The Team Rage defense had a meltdown and it cost them in the top of the ninth. All but three batters faced in the ninth made the trip around the infield for X-treme and they took a commanding 20-12 lead in the ninth.
Team Rage knew it was now or never and with a large mountain to climb Natalie Bond and Lacey Lee started the bottom of the inning with a pair of singles. Bailey Sims reached first base on balls. Madison Reed singled through the defense and runs crossed the plate. Team Rage trailed 20-14. Torie Coldwell hit a blast into the gap for a double and she cleared the bases with one swing of the bat and pulled Team Rage within four at, 20-16. The next three batters put the ball in play and Coldwell scored for the final run for Team Rage at 20-17. Even with the run the three batters were all out to end the inning and the game.
After a scoreless first inning, the score was locked in a 2-2 tie after the second inning. X-treme took an advantage in the third inning and led Team Rage 5-3. Neither team looked to be settled into any kind of rhythm, both defenses looked sharp in the early innings.
Team Rage gained some ground and the lead after the fifth inning with X-treme still holding onto the lead at 9-8. In the sixth and seventh inning Team Rage pulled into a tie with X-treme and knotted the score at 12.
It was a hard fought battle that took nine innings to reach a decision but in the end Team Rage was defeated by X-treme by a final score of 20-17 in the SSEA State Tounament.