PLAY AT SECOND … Lola Giesige awaits the throw as Edgerton tries to pick off the Antwerp baserunner. (PHOTO BY RICH HARDING, STAFF)
By: Nate Calvin
BRYAN-A six-run fourth inning gave Antwerp the lead and the Archers were able to hold off a comeback attempt by Edgerton to get a 9-8 win in the second Division IV district semifinal game.
Edgerton got on the board first as Rylei Moreno hit a fly ball to center that was mishandled which allowed Allison Elliot to score from second after she started the game with a single to give Edgerton a 1-0 lead.
After the Archers answered back with two runs in the bottom of the first inning, Edgerton would get a run in their next time at the plate thanks to an RBI groundout by Holly Stark to tie the game 2-2.
It was Antwerp’s turn as they drew three walks to load the bases and Kennedy Trable would steal home to give Antwerp the lead back at 3-2
The back and forth battle continued in the third as Elliot walked, Avery DeGryse singled, and Moreno doubled to left to drive in Elliot to tie the game again.
The Bulldogs added two more runs in the inning as Grace Schroeder had an RBI groundout and Noelle Ritter would hit a sacrifice fly to center to give Edgerton a 5-3 lead.
Edgerton pitcher Ashlyn Sleesman struck out the first two Antwerp hitters she faced in the bottom of the fourth before the Archers put together six straight hits, ending with Molly Reinhart’s two-run homer to make it 9-5 Antwerp.
Edgerton started to claw their way back in the sixth with an RBI double by Stark and an RBI single by DeGryse to cut the deficit to 9-7.
In their final at bat, Edgerton got a walk from Lola Giesige and then a double from Stark that scored Giesige to make it 9-8.
With two outs and Stark now at third base representing the tying run, Antwerp pitcher Emerson Litzenberg would get Nessa Cox to pop out to second base to end the game.
Stark paced the hitting attack for Edgerton (14-12) with two doubles and three RBIs while Giesige and DeGryse each had two hits.
SCORE BY INNINGS R H E
Edgerton 113 002 1 8 8 3
Antwerp 210 600 x 9 7 2
Nate can be reached at publisher@thevillagereporter.com