HUMANSVILLE - Macks Creek walked it off on Monday, but on Thursday the Humansville Lady Tigers did the same as the Lady Pirates fell by the score of 11 - 10. Macks Creek had built a 10 - 3 lead after five but were unable to hold on in the end.
Macks Creek's Madeline Phillips led off the top of the first with a triple to center and would eventually come around on Bobbie Hilton's RBI-single to left.
Humansville took a 2 - 1 lead in the bottom of the second. Lacey Swearingen singled, moved to third on Lexie Brewer's one out double, and scored on Anna Scott's ground out to the pitcher to tie the game. Brewer had moved to third on the ground out and eventually scored when Alex Hopkin's ball bounced between the legs of the second baseman.
In the top of the third the Lady Pirates plated five more runs. Phillips again reached when her ball to short was misplayed. Jesse Willis then singled to left, pushing Madeline to third, and reaching second herself on the throw to third. Madeline would score on a dropped third strike throw to first, with Jesse moving to third. Another error by the second baseman, this time on a pop up off the bat of Bobbie Hilton, allowed Willis to score. Courtney Knight entered the game as a courtesy runner for Hilton and moved to third on Caytlin Eidson's double to center. Both of them would come in to score on Kenzie Hicks's double off the wall in left centerfield.
The Lady Tigers plated one more run in the third when Lilly White doubled to the left field corner and came in to score on Abby Burrow's RBI-single to left.
The fourth saw Macks Creek plate two more runs. Madeline Phillips singled to center, stole second, moved to third on an error by the second baseman on the same play, and scored on Jesse Willis's single to left. Willis would reach second when she drew a throw by rounding first too far. She would move to third on Shaylee Skinner's single to left and then score on Bobbie Hilton's ball to short. The throw to first was late and Hilton was able to reach. A hit-by-pitch would load the bases but three strike outs in a row would end the threat. The fifth saw the Lady Pirates plate their last two runs. Madeline Phillips reached on an error by the first baseman, stole second, and moved to third on Jesse Willis's third single of the night. Willis advanced to second just ahead of Shaylee Skinner's two-RBI-double to left field.
Humansville plated three runs in the bottom of the sixth. Lacey Swearingen walked and moved to third on Jasmine Hawkins double. Lexie Brewer then walked to load the bases. Anna Scott then hit a squibbler to first, where the ball went under the glove of the first baseman for an error, and into right field. Lacey would score on the play but Hawkins would be thrown out trying to score. Brewer moved to third on the sequence. Scott would steal second before Alex Hopkins would single in both runners with a ball to right. A pitching change would follow by Macks Creek. A strike out, a single, and a walk would load the bases before a line out to short ended the inning.
In the bottom of the seventh the Lady Tigers would plate five runs to win in walk-off fashion. Lacey Swearingen reached on a dropped fly ball by the center fielder. Jasmine Hawking walked and Lexie Brewer hit a ball to second that was throw to third to force out Swearingen. A single off the bat of Anna Scott loaded the bases before Alex Hopkins's ball to short was misplayed, allowing Hawkins to score. A ground out to first off the bat of Jahnna Essex pushed in Brewer and a wild pitch helped special runner Mikayla Sponder to score from third. Lilly White then tripled in pinch runner Sophie Gann to tie the game at 10. An intentional walk to Abby Burrow and a walk of Ariel Culbertson would load the bases before Lacey Swearingen, batting for the second time in the inning, was beaned to push in White with the winning run.
"We did well offensively, but defensively tonight we weren't able to play a complete 7 innings," said Coach Trusty, "we fell apart in the last two innings and gave this game away."
Shaylee Skinner started for the Lady Pirates and received a no-decision in the contest. She worked the first five-and-a-third innings of the contest, allowing six runs, two earned, on six hits while striking out two and walking three. Bethany Schmidt was tagged with the loss in relief. She worked an inning-and-a-third, allowing five unearned runs on three hits while walking four, striking out one, and hitting one batter.
Lilly White twirled a complete game for the Lady Tigers. She was touched for 10 runs, three earned, on 13 hits while striking out 10 and walking two.
The Lady Pirates banged out 13 hits in the contest offensively, with nine of them coming from the top three spots in the lineup. Madeline Phillips tripled, singled twice, reached on errors twice, and score four runs. Jesse Willis collected three singles, and RBI, and three runs scored. Shaylee Skinner doubled and singled twice to go along with two RBI's. Bobbie Hilton singled, reached twice on errors, and once on a fielder's choice and had two RBI's. Cayltin Eidson doubled, scored, and was hit-by-a-pitch, Kenzie Hicks doubled in two runs, scored once, and reached on an error, and Bethany Schmidt singled in a run, reached on a fielder's choice, and was beaned. Courtney Knight scored one run as a courtesy runner in the contest as well.
Lilly White came a home run short of the cycle for Humansville. She also reached on an error and a walk, scored twice, and had an RBI. Abby Burrow singled in a run and walked twice, Lacey Swearingen singed, scored twice, reached on an error once, walked, and was beaned, Jasmine Hawkins doubled, walked, and scored, Lexie Brewer doubled, walked, reached on a fielder's choice, and scored three times, Anna Scott singled and had an RBI, and Alex Hopkins singled in two runs and reached on errors twice. Ariel Culbertson walked, Jahnna Essex had an RBI, Sophie Gann scored once, and Mikayla Sponder scored two runs.
Macks Creek falls to 9 - 12 (2 - 4 PCL) while Humansville moves to 8 - 13 (2 - 6 PCL). The Lady Pirates resume conference play next Monday with a game at Walnut Grove before playing host to Hermitage on Tuesday for a make-up of a game rained out at the start of September. Wednesday they will take part in the 4/5 game of the Class 1, District 2 Tournament in Richland.
Jason Trusty
Pirates 18