Danica Gray hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the eighth inning on Wednesday afternoon, sending #3 Belfast past #6 Nokomis 7-6 in a Class B softball quarterfinal.
The Warriors had a 3-0 lead into the bottom of the fourth, and Hallie Coots was working on a no-hitter in the circle. The Lions though got a leadoff solo homerun from Jordyn MacKay, and would take advantage of three errors in the frame to score five times to take the lead. Nokomis tied it in the fifth on RBI singles by Mackenzie Liscomb and Hannah Brewer, then jumped back ahead 6-5 in the sixth on a RBI double by Jenna Sawtelle. Belfast sent it to extras innings when Gracie Moore slapped a RBI double to centerfield with two outs in the seventh. The game winner was set up in the eighth on one out singles by Sophia Larrabee and Kaitlyn Ryan, before Gray stepped to the plate with two outs and hit the first pitch she saw into center for the walk-off single to send her team to the semifinals.
Gray had two hits and two RBI to lead Belfast, while Moore, Larrabee, and Ryan each added two hits a piece. MacKay and Larrabee scored two runs. MacKay also went the distance in the circle allowing six runs on 12 hits with four walks and 12 strikeouts. Sawtelle and Reagan King had three hits each for Nokomis, while Coots and Brewer had two. Sawtelle drove in two runs, and King scored twice. Coots also went the distance in suffering the pitching loss giving up seven runs (six earned) on 11 hits with four walks and six strikeouts. The #6 Warriors end their season with a record of 8-9. The #3 Lions, now 16-1, will play in the semifinals on Saturday at #2 Old Town with a time to be announced.
Featured photo courtesy of Misty Moulton
