In a matchup between two of the best softball teams the 1st and 2nd Regions have to offer, it took nine innings and a walk-off single to separate Christian County and host Marshall County on Thursday.
The Lady Marshals used a two-out rally in their final at-bat to force extra innings, and ultimately topped the Lady Colonels 6-5 with a pair of runs in the bottom of the 9th.
The Lady Colonels drop their third in four outings to slip to 12-6 and will face another 1st-Region test on Friday when they try to complete a season sweep over Graves County. Christian County was a 9-0 winner over the Lady Eagles on opening night in Hopkinsville.
It was a pitcher’s duel over the first three frames, with Christian County’s Gracie Harned retiring all nine batters she faced and Marshall’s Gracelyn Darnall allowing a single hit.
However, the Lady Colonels broke through in the top of the 4th when Harned’s double drove in a run and Kaleigh Shaw followed with an RBI single.
The Lady Marshals led off the bottom of the 4th with their first hit of the night, and cut the Lady Colonels’ lead in half on Chloe Coursey’s RBI single.
Still clinging to a one-run edge, the Lady Colonels were an out away from the win in the bottom of the 7th before Chevelle Henson singled to give Marshall County a glimmer of hope.
After Merriel Jackson’s single put runners on 1st and 2nd, Marin Oakley singled to bring in a run and tie the game. Harned walked the next batter to load the bases and was relieved by Riley Hancock, who coaxed a ground out to end the inning.
With a runner placed on 2nd base to start the 8th, Christian County got a single from Pickle Winkler followed by a single for Hancock to plate two for a 4-2 advantage.
But the Lady Marshals had the answer again with two runs in their half of the 8th to extend the game. Christian County got back on top with a run in the top of the 9th, but Marshall County was even again when Madyson Morton drove in a run with a single in the bottom of the inning.
With two outs and a runner on 3rd, the Lady Colonels intentionally walked Charley Pursley to bring Coursey to the plate. She came through for the Lady Marshals, smacking a 1-0 pitch into right field to bring in the winning run.
Darnall went the distance in the circle to earn the victory, allowing three earned runs on nine hits with a pair of walks and two strikeouts. Coursey had two hits and drove in three runs, Pursley hit safely twice, and Morton was 2/4 with an RBI.
Hancock took the loss, yielding two earned runs on three hits with two walks and two strikeouts. Harned pitched 6.2 innings, surrendering two earned runs on six hits with three walks and a pair of strikeouts.
Hancock had two hits and two RBI, Shaw reached twice with a run driven in, and Harned finished with a hit and an RBI.
