Gallatin entered Saturday’s King City Softball Tournament having faced the host team in each of the last four years in the championship game. Not this time.
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The Lady Bulldogs had to rally to win one game of the tournament and hold off an opponent’s rally to capture the other, in order to capture their fourth straight tournament title on Saturday.
Meanwhile, rain again threatens to wreck what was supposed to be a busy week of high school softball. Tuesday’s conference matchup at Milan was suspended after the fifth inning, tied 3-3. Today’s (Wednesday) league tilt at Putnam County and Thursday’s home game against North Nodaway are in doubt if the weatherman has his way.
The Lady Bulldogs were scheduled to play Monday at home (Lawson) and Tuesday at home (Albany). Vs. Lawson game was mutually cancelled due to conference obligations by both teams. The National Weather Service is calling for chances of rain all next week.
Tourney – Worth County
Gallatin spotted Worth County a 5-1 lead after two innings of Saturday’s tourney opener but clawed back with eight runs in the final three frames, including five in the sixth, to win, 9-5.
Seven singles produced the go-ahead and winning runs for Gallatin. Courtney Smith opened the inning with a single. Kelsey Maxwell, who also crashed a second inning homer, also singled. Addison Burns, Hayley Michael, Aubrey Feiden, Karley Salmon and Maelea Coulson also kept the line moving for the Lady Bulldogs with singles.
Salmon threw two innings of hitless ball and struck out three to earn the win in relief of Sami Boyd.
Tourney – North Nodaway
Gallatin took a 5-1 lead into the bottom of the seventh in the title game against North Nodaway, but staved off a rally to win, 5-3. Michael opened the seventh with a single. Boyd followed with a single and Feiden reached on an error that scored Michael. A double by Salmon scored Bethany Bailey, running for Boyd, and Feiden.
Feiden, Salmon and Michael each produced two hits for Gallatin. Boyd pitched a complete game, striking out five and giving up only one earned run.
Vs. Mid-Buchanan
Mid-Buchanan defeated Gallatin, 2-1, Monday in a pitchers’ duel that saw the Lady Dragons plate the winning run in their final at bat.
Gallatin’s lone run came in the second inning after Ariel Harris reached by hit batter, stole second and came home on Boyd’s double. The Lady Bulldogs loaded the bases in the fourth on singles by Courtney Shubert, Courtney Smith and Michael, but could not score.
Milan game suspended
Tuesday’s suspended game saw Milan take a 2-0 lead in its half of the first inning thanks to two singles and a double. Gallatin scored once in the second inning without a hit when the Lady Wildcats made three errors. Boyd singled to open the third frame for the Lady Bulldogs and trotted home on a home run by Coulson.
Milan was able to tie the score in the fourth with a walk and pair of singles.
Gallatin punished South Harrison last Thursday with 10 hits and two four-run innings on the way to a 14-4 victory in what turned out to be a home game for Gallatin, due to a wet field in Bethany.
Gallatin failed to score in each of the first two frames but plated at least one run in each of the last five innings. The red and black Lady Bulldogs received multiple hits from Salmon (2), Smith (2) and Harris (3), who all finished with two runs batted in. Coulson drove in three runs with a double. Feiden and Maxwell each scored three runs. Michael had an rbi single.
Boyd gave up four runs but struck out five batters. Salmon pitched two innings of relief and struck out four.