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Dragons claim title in 8 innings
Pittsburg won the season-opening Fort Scott Softball Tournament by holding off Fort Scott High in 8 innings Tuesday night at Don Hewett Field.
Pittsburg defeated Blue Valley Northwest, 10-8, in one semifinal, rallying from a 6-0 deficit. Fort Scott won the other semifinal over Baxter Springs 6-3.
The result of the third-place game between Baxter Springs and Blue Valley Northwest were not available.
Fort Scott 6, Baxter Springs 3.
Each team scored a run in the first two innings. Fort Scott tied the score in the bottom of the first on Riley Brown's inside-the-park home run to right-center field and again in the second when Shelby Maycumber hit her own inside-the-parker to center.
The Tigers scored three in the third to go up 5-0. Hannah Tourtillott led off the inning by beating the shortstop's throw to first for a hit. Brown followed up with a run-scoring double. Mackenzie Jackman singled, then Kenzie Heatherly brought in both runners with a single to right.
Brown tripled with two out in the fourth and scored on Jackman's single to make it 6-2. Baxter Springs scored once in the top of the seventh but the Lions had another runner on third with one out and could not do any further damage as Jenna Harper got a groundout and a strikeout to end the game.
Brown was 3 for 3 at the plate with 2 RBI. Jackman also went 3 for 3. Mallory Rydberg had 2 hits for Baxter Springs.
Harper allowed one earned run on 7 hits and 4 walks while striking out 7 as she went the distance inside the circle. Baxter's Tayler Frazier didn't walk anyone and struck out 7 but allowed 6 earned runs on 10 hits.
Pittsburg 12, Fort Scott 11, 8 innings.
The Purple Dragons were threatening to run away with this game as they took a 9-2 lead after 2 1/2 innings.
Fort Scott scored 3 times in the bottom of the third. Tourtillott reached on leadoff slap bunt, stole second and moved to third on a passed ball. Brown drew a walk and stole second. Jackman grounded out to third, allowing Tourtillott to score. Heatherly singled to right and stole second. Delane Gray's groundout to first brought in Brown and Heatherly later scored on a passed ball.
The Tigers added 2 more in the fourth. Tourtillott beat out another throw with 2 out and Brown singled to left. Both runners moved up on a wild pitch and scored on Jackman's double to center, which brought Fort Scott within 9-7.
Brown singled with one out in the sixth, stole second and moved to third on a wild pitch. Jackman walked and stole second and Heatherly tied the score at 9-9 with a single to left.
Pittsburg reclaimed the lead in the top of the seventh when C.Williams drove in Burdick with a single to right. Fort Scott tied it at 10-10 in the bottom of the inning. Sidney Maycumber led off with a single to left, moved to second on Ericah Shoemaker's sacrifice bunt and on to third on a wild pitch. She scored on Harper's single with 2 out.
The Dragons went in front again in the top of the eighth. Elliott led off with a triple to left and moved when she beat the throw home on a fielder's choice on Moore's play. Casper bunted Moore to second, from where she scored on Burdick's hit to center.
The Tigers rallied as Jackman singled with one out and stole second. She scored on Heatherly's hit to bring the redclads within 12-11. Heatherly moved to second on a bad throw to the plate but Pittsburg's catcher, Elliott, recovered and threw her out as she tried to move to third. A ground out ended the game.
Heatherly was 3 for 5 with 3 RBI while Jackman was 3 for 3 with 3 RBI. Sidney Maycumber, Tourtollott and Brown each had 2 hits.
The Tiger varsity is idle until April 5 when they will host Pittsburg in a Southeast Kansas League doubleheader
Semifinal
Baxter Springs.. 110 000 1 -- 3 7 2
Fort Scott...... 113 100 x -- 6 10 5
WP -- Harper (1-0). LP -- Frazier.
HR -- Fort Scott: Brown (1, 1st inn., 0 on, 1 out); Sh.Maycumber (1, 2nd inn., 0 on 2 out).
Championship
Pittsburg.... 261 000 12 -- 12 13 1
Fort Scott... 203 202 11 -- 11 12 7
WP -- Vogel (1-0). LP -- Gray (0-1).