(Exira) Battling out the entire game throughout 7 innings of action, the Spartans defeat the Tigers 3-2 in softball action. The entire game was a battle all the way up until the top of the 7th inning of action, until Shay Burmeister made the final out of the ballgame, catching the line drive by Woodbine’s Nicole Sherer.
Starting the ballgame, Exira-EHK was able to put two runs on the board as Shay Burmeister walked with two outs in the inning, bringing up Riley Miller who also walked. Burmeister and Miller both advanced a base on a second base misthrow by pitcher Charlie Pryor. The Spartans relied on their first-baseman Hannah Nelson as she drove out a single to drive in both baserunners and add two early runs on the board. Goodwin hit into a 6-3 out to end the inning, but the Spartan’s early lead held on until Woodbine was able to add on another run in the game to make it 2-1.
The third inning saw a Quinn Grubbs single followed up by another single by Burmeister to add two baserunners for Hannah Nelson with two outs in the inning. Nelson once again came back up to the plate and drove out a ball into right-center field, scoring a run for Exira-EHK. Nelson tried advancing to second base on the throw home, but Charlie Pryor was able to get her out at second with a throw down the line to Jersey Gray to end the inning.
Woodbine got to the 5th inning of action, looking to add more pressure onto the scoresheet. The Tigers started with a strikeout, but then came pitcher Charlie Pryor. Coming up the plate with a 1-1 count, she hit a home run out to left-center field to clear the Tigers’ dugout in celebratory fashion. This made a tight 3-2 ballgame with Exira-EHK looking to finish things off defensively.
Riley Miller was able to finish a three-up, three-down inning forcing Gray into a grounder and striking out Nicole Hoefer and Katie Pryor. The Spartans replicated the Tigers in the bottom of the 6th inning with Harlee Fahn and Quinn Grubbs both hitting grounders into outs and Charlie Pryor striking out Taryn Petersen.
Things came down to the wire in the top of the 7th inning. Miller started off the inning hot, striking out Anna Jochims as she caught her looking on the inside pitch. Sierra Lantz came up in the eighth spot in the batting order earning herself a walk down to first as Lillian Kerger came into a pinch run. Taylor Hoefer swung at one, looked at another, and struck out swinging at the plate to make it two outs in the ballgame.
Exira-EHK made the decision to walk Charlie Pryor who had just hit a home run in her last at-bat, to have runner on first and second. This brought up Nicole Sherer who had been 0-3 in the ballgame, making contact in two of her at-bats and striking out in the other. With a 2-2 count at the plate, Sherer made solid contact with the ball, pulling it out towards shortstop, Shay Burmeister. Seeing the hit, Burmeister took a step and jumped to catch the liner and end the ballgame, with the Spartans winning 3-2.
Looking into the stats for Woodbine, leading the team was Charlie Pryor who went 1-1 at the plate with a home run and walking in three of her plate appearances. Katie Pryor and Sierra Lantz both had a single in the ballgame to help add some offensive momentum to the matchup. Charlie Pryor struck out three on the night, giving up three runs on 4 hits.
Flipping the side and taking a look at the Spartans, they were led by Hannah Nelson who went 2-3 in the ballgame, knocking in all three RBIs for Exira-EHK. Gemini Goodwin and Shay Burmeister both added a single in the game for the Spartans. Winning the game in the circle was Riley Miller who had 11 strikeouts, allowed two hits, and walked four batters on the night.
Coach Schwery talked about how excited she was coaching from the dugout when the Tigers hit right to her shortstop to end the ballgame.
Exira-EHK will go to the Regional Championship game to take on Southeast Warren at Southeast Warren high school. The game will start at 7 pm and will air on KS 95.7 with Tom Robinson behind the microphone.
