Perfect Saints Take Epic Bayside Title
It was the best softball game the shore has seen this year, and one that both teams deserved to win.
But that’s not how softball works. There’s only one winner. And one team left wondering what could have been.
Saint Michaels overcame incredible odds, coming from behind in a possible final inning 3 times, to take an epic 9-8 win over Mardela Tuesday night. The Saints stay perfect with the win and improve to 15-0, while the Warriors drop to 17-3.
The Warriors would come to play, and take a 2-0 lead in the top of the first after Megan Roy would turn on a pitch and send it to left center for a 2 RBI double. It didn’t take very long for the Saints to answer though, as they got a 2 run bomb to left from Melissa Richardson in the 2nd to tie it up. The teams would remain tied at 2-2 headed to the 5th, where Mardela would again break through. They would then get an RBI fielders choice from Maddy Catlin, followed by a RBI sac fly from Kasey Goshorn to take a 4-2 lead. Kalie Adkins would work her way around a difficult Saints line up to hold the lead to the bottom of the 7th.
The Saints weren’t ready to give up their perfect season just yet though. They would get a runner on with no out, before Samantha Romberger would blast a RBI triple to left. But her biggest at bat was yet to come. The center fielder wouldn’t be on 3rd for long, as she was able to score off a fielder choice the very next at bat to tie the game at 4-4, and we would head to extras.
There in the 9th, Mardela would again take the lead. Sydney Goertzen would send a bloop single to center to drive in a run, followed by a 2 RBI double to right by Adkins. The Warriors would take a 7-4 lead into the bottom of the frame, and it seemed like the game was in hand.
But again, the Saints weren’t ready to give up just yet.
They open the inning with a RBI single, followed by a RBI triple from McKenna Browning as she placed a liner just inside the 3rd base line. Browning then would take home off a over throw to the pitcher to tie the game up at 7-7. The teams would head to the 10, where Mardela again would pull out in front. Catlin would come through with a RBI single to put the Warriors in front 8-7, but again the lead was short lived. The Saints would get a RBI single with 1 out from Savannah Stewart. The marathon would then continue as they would head to the 11th.
That’s when the Saints would finally pull out in front for good. Mardela would first have their chance and work runners on the corners with 1 out. Browning then would get a punch out, followed by a bases loaded ground out to keep the game tied headed to the bottom of the frame. Romberger would be the first up, and found a pitch she liked, turned on it and sent it to dead center for the walk-off RBI. The Saints total team effort on the comeback was exemplified by the fact that the go-ahead run was scored by Jordan Bateson, a recent call up from the JV team.
The win caps off a historic run for the Saints, including their first ever perfect regular season, their first Bayside North Title, and first ever Bayside Championship.
Both teams now prepare for the state tournament with both earning first round byes.
