Photo by Huntington North
It took an extra inning but the Huntington North softball team pulled out a tight 4-3 win over Homestead in the championship game of the Class 4A Columbia City championship game Thursday night, May 25. Homestead, the visiting team for the night, struck first with two runs right off the bat in the top of the first inning. Huntington North answered back with two runs in the bottom of the first inning. After a scoreless second inning, both teams scored a run in the third inning to remain tied at 3-3. The score remained 3-3 after seven innings, forcing extra innings. Lady Viking pitching and the Huntington North defense did their jobs in the top of the eighth inning and the Vikings pulled out the win with walk-off run in the bottom of the inning. To advance to the finals, Huntington defeated Columbia City, 3-2, and New Haven, 10-0, in semifinal play. nings, giving up three runs on seven hits and struck out 11. Reece Douglass led the Vikings going 2-4 with three RBIs while Corinne Martz went 2-4 with two runs, with Mara Hendryx, Kianna Jennings, and Emma Helvie each recorded hits. Huntington North (26-3) travels to Carroll (14-13) in a one-game regional on Tuesday, May 30. First round HN 3, Columbia City 2 The Lady Vikes held off Columbia City in the first round, 3-2, Monday, May 22. The teams went scoreless through three innings before Huntington North scored two runs in the top of the fourth inning. They added another run in the top of the fifth inning for a 3-0 lead. The Lady Eagles didn’t win 15 games by accident and showed their fight in the bottom of the sixth inning to cut the lead to 3-2. Poulson and the Lady Viking defense didn’t allow Columbia City a run in the bottom of the seventh to escape with the one-run win. Poulson pitched a 2-hitter with four strikeouts, with the Lady Eagles scoring two unearned runs. Douglass, Helvie, and Ptak each had one hit and one RBI, while Hendryx and Martz each had one hit. Semifinals The Lady Vikings made quick work of New Haven in the sectional semifinals with a 10-0 win Tuesday, May 23. Leading 1-0 after one inning, Huntington North scored seven runs in the top of the seventh and closed the game out with two runs in the top of the fifth and a defensive stand in the bottom half to earn a spot in the championship game. Hendryx got the win on the mound pitching five innings, giving up three hits, and striking out six. Helvie blasted two homeruns, added another hit, drove in four runs, and scored two. Martz went 3-4 on the night with one RBI and two runs, with Landrum finishing 1-2 with two RBIs and two runs, followed by Hendryx with one hit and one RBI, Zoey Stanley with two hits, and Douglass with one hit.
