In an epic at bat in the bottom of the 6th inning, Lyon County’s Calista Collins drove in two runs, including the game winner, as Lyon County advanced to their first ever regional softball championship game with a 2-1 win over regional favorite Webster County on the Lady Trojans home field. Collins and Webster County hurler Karlie Keeney battled through a ten pitch at-bat, with Collins finally coming through the biggest clutch hit of her young career.
The Lady Lyons also got another spectacular effort from Tori Schenk, who went five innings, giving up one unearned run, on five hits, and walking only two batter. Kaelyn Conger then came into the game and closed it out strong, going two hitless innings, striking out two, walking none, and setting down the Lady Trojans in order in the top of the 7th.
It was a battle from the very beginning. Keeney and Lyon County starting pitcher Tori Schenk pitched no-hit ball for the first two innings. The only batter to reach base in the first couple of innings was Schenk, who reached base on a dropped 3rd strike.
The Webster County Lady Trojans will look back at this game and give an eye to some missed scoring opportunities that cost them dearly Tuesday evening.
Webster County got things started in the top of the 3rd, when Madison Durbin lead off the inning with a double. A Lyon County error gave Webster County runners on 1st and 3rd with no outs. Following an error and a walk, the Lady Trojans appeared to be set up for a possible big inning.
The Lady Trojans would score a run on a bloop single to centerfield by Hadlee Carter to take a 1-0 lead. With the bases still loaded, it continued to appear like the Lady Trojans were on the verge of putting the game away. However, Lyon County picked off a Webster County runner at 3rd and got a fly ball to end the inning and the Webster County threat.
The Lady Trojans threatened again in the top of the 5th inning loading the bases with two outs. Schenk was able to induce Grace Scott into a strikeout to close out the inning. That failure to score set up the opportunity for Lyon County’s game winning rally in the bottom of the 6th inning.
In the bottom of the sixth, Hadlie Butler led off the inning with a single to left for the Lady Lyons first base hit of the night. Rachel Coursey then attempted to bunt Butler over to second base, but Webster County committed their only error of the night, giving Lyon runners at first and second. Sydney Melton was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Lyon County with no outs.
Tori Schenk grounded to third, with Webster County getting the force play at the plate for the first out of the inning. That force out set up the epic confrontation between one of the region’s best players and one of the region’s best hitters.
Calista Collins ended up 1-3, with a single and the two RBIs for Lyon County. Hadlie Butler was 1-2 for the Lady Lyons.
Lyon will play Wednesday evening at 7:30 for the regional championship and a berth in the state sectional at WKU.
