Lady Rams walk off with win

SCOTT CITY -- With the game tied at two runs a piece in the bottom of the eighth inning, the Scott City Lady Rams had the bases loaded with two outs against the visiting Oran Lady Eagles.

Rachel Reed, who was the Lady Rams starting pitcher for the game, stepped up to the plate and sent a line drive to right field. Oran's right fielder Lexi Cummins, who was recently subbed in, tried to make the reaching catch in front of her but the ball hit off of her glove and rolled behind her.

Reed had truly helped her own cause inside the circle as her walk-off RBI beat the Lady Eagles in a 3-2 extra inning game.

"We battled," Scott City head coach Sally O'Brien said. "We had a few mistakes but we came back and did what we needed to do to win the game."

It looked like Scott City would put the game away in the seventh inning when they had a one run lead.

Oran led off the seventh with two quick outs, but Abbey Anderson connected for a two out single to keep the inning going for Amanda Williams.

Williams hit a double that would score Anderson from first base for the tying run followed by a Halle Woodfin single to give the Lady Eagles the opportunity to take the lead with a runner on first and third. Unfortunately for Oran, Claire Seyer grounded out to end the inning.

Scott City then took that momentum with them in the bottom of the seventh when Macy Heisserer singled into center to get things started. The next batter, Stacey Heisserer, sacrifice bunted M. Heisserer over to second base while she was thrown out at first.

After Reed knocked a single to center that advanced M. Heisserer to third base, Lindsey Hadley drew a walk from Seyer to load the bases with only one out. After Seyer struck out Ashley Brant, K. Twidwell popped out to Williams in front of home plate to keep the Lady Eagles' chances alive in the top half of the eighth inning.

Kirstie Mangels hit a leadoff double over the left fielder's head to once again give Oran a chance at the lead. The next batter, Taylor Tenkhoff, hit a ground ball to Scott City's shortstop, Twidwell. Twidwell looked Mangels back at second and then fired a throw to first base getting Tenkhoff out by a few steps. As the throw went to first, Mangels decided to take off towards third but a throw from Hadley to third baseman Holli Shemonia completed a 6-3-5 double play that would halted any chance of an Oran comeback. Scott City won the game in the following half inning.

"Oran's a really good hitting team," O'Brien said. "I think we did very well to come through and keep them from scoring. We did what we needed to do."

Reed, who drove in the game winning run, pitched all eight innings giving up two runs (one earned) on 10 hits and three walks. She also struck out three.

Seyer received the loss on Oran's side with 7 2/3 innings pitched and three runs scored (one earned). She allowed seven hits as well as seven walks with three strikeouts.

Jenna Cummins led the Scott City offense with three hits and one run scored. Reed had two hits while M. Heisserer and Twidwell each had one. Shemonia and Melanie Lacey were credited with two RBIs.

Woodfin was perfect at the plate for Oran but going 4-for-4 with one run scored. Mangels added two hits with an RBI, while Anderson, Williams, Seyer and Scheeter each had one hit a piece.

Oran's next game will be at home against Saxony Lutheran on Friday.

Oran head coach Sara Heisserer was unavailable for comment after the game.