WHS SOFTBALL: Trojans score 8 in the 6th to beat Falcons 14-7

WORTHINGTON — Kari Suby’s two-RBI single to left-center field started the scoring in an eight-run bottom of the sixth inning Monday afternoon, as the Worthington Trojans snapped a 6-6 tie and claimed a 14-7 victory over the Red Rock Central/Westbrook-Walnut Grove Falcons in a non-conference high school fastpitch softball game at Centennial Field.

Worthington, which is now 9-8 overall, led 6-2 after the third inning and combined a 13-hit offensive attack with another complete-game pitching performance from senior hurler Angela Robinson to win in its home finale.

The Trojans will wrap up the regular season with a Southwest Conference doubleheader Thursday at Marshall, looking to improve upon their current 4-6 league mark and go into the Section 3AA tournament on a high note.

“It was nice to get a win in our last home game, although we didn’t come out and play as sharp as what I had hoped,” Worthington head coach Sam Baumgartner said. “I thought RRC/W-WG outplayed us for a good portion of the game, but we finally broke through with a big sixth inning. We strung a few hits together and took advantage of some different things to push eight runs across.”

Robinson struck out four batters and didn’t issue a walk in seven strong innings, permitting seven runs (only three earned) and scattering eight hits to pick up the win in the circle for the Trojans.

“Angela is so steady for us,” Baumgartner said. “She throws strikes and doesn’t walk very many batters, making them put the ball in play and giving the defense behind her chances to make the plays. She is very consistent in terms of hitting the strike zone and always does a really nice job out there.”

RRC/W-WG’s Aubrey Willhite also tossed a complete game, recording five strikeouts and walking three batters. Willhite set the Trojans down in order during the bottom of the first inning, as the Falcons got off to a solid start with a 2-0 lead.

Katie Dusek was hit by a pitch to begin the top of the first. She later stole second and hustled home when Klarissa Larsen (2-for-4) belted an RBI double to left-center, giving RRC/W-WG (4-11) a quick 1-0 edge.

A passed ball and a 5-3 groundout off the bat of Kali Davis (RBI) then allowed Larsen to score, as the Falcons were up 2-0 after a half inning.

The Trojans got their bats going in the bottom of the second, starting with an infield single by Jenny Majerus (3-for-4). Rebecca Linder (3-for-4) and Haley Rogers (2-for-4) followed with one-out singles to load the bases.

A pair of wild pitches allowed both Majerus and Linder to scoot home, evening the score at two runs apiece after two complete frames.

Robinson retired all six of the batters she faced in the second and third innings, helping Worthington keep the momentum and build a 6-2 lead after scoring four runs in the bottom of the third.

Suby (2-for-5) cracked a one-out double to left-center and scored on an RBI single up the middle by K.C. Riley to put the Trojans in front (3-2). Robinson followed with an infield single before Majerus blasted an RBI double to right-center, plating Riley for a 4-2 lead.

Linder, who also doubled in the fifth, made it five straight hits with an RBI single to center, driving in Robinson. Majerus came around to score on a wild pitch a bit later, putting Worthington in command with a 6-2 cushion.

However, RRC/W-WG control most of the next two innings and slowly chipped away at the deficit — beginning with a pair of runs in the top of the fourth.

Katie Larsen, who singled in the first, reached on a fielder’s choice after Davis smacked a lead-off single. Larsen then stole second base and scored from third on a Trojans’ error, as Katie Halter put the ball in play.

Angela Hannemann delivered an RBI double, plating Halter to make it 6-4. The Falcons then added a run in both the fifth and sixth to tie the score at six apiece, as Willhite twirled two scoreless frames (fourth and fifth) to hold Worthington down in that same span.

Dusek reached on an error and scored on an RBI single by Kendra Hagert in the fifth, while Fern Engen singled and scored on a wild pitch in the sixth.

“RRC/W-WG played well and stayed right with us,” Baumgartner said. “They have some good hitters and they put the ball in play. We had some trouble keeping the ball in front of us on a few of their hits to the outfield and were not particularly sharp defensively overall.”

Worthington, though, answered by sending 13 batters to plate in the bottom of the sixth — scoring eight runs on four hits, three walks and a pair of dropped third strikes in addition to a fielder’s choice and two Falcons’ errors.

Betsy Thompson coaxed a lead-off walk before Brandie Timmerman reached on a dropped third strike and Paige Kinley walked to load the bases with no outs. That’s when Suby smacked a two-run single to the opposite field (left-center), plating Thompson and Timmerman with the go-ahead runs for an 8-6 Trojans’ lead.

Riley then walked to load the bases again, and both Kinley and Suby scored when Robinson hit a groundball to shortstop. The Falcons didn’t get an out on the play and also committed an error, increasing the Trojans’ lead to 10-6.

Majerus and Rogers later laced RBI singles, and Kinley tagged a two-run double to right-center to round out the offensive highlights for the Trojans, extending the margin to 14-6.

“Kari got the key hit and then everything seemed to come together for us,” Baumgartner said. “Everybody throughout the lineup contributed and that was fun to see. This was a good all-around team effort today.”

RRC/W-WG completed the game’s scoring with a run in the seventh, as Klarissa Larsen crushed an RBI double to drive in Hagert. Dusek reached on a bunt single to begin the inning before Hagert hit into fielder’s choice.

The Falcons host Mountain Lake/Butterfield-Odin in a Red Rock Conference game today.

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