Bulldogs walk it off for dramatic district title

Shyenne Hawkins slashed a two-run double to left center with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning to give St. Cloud the District 7A-6 softball championship with a 2-1 win over arch-rival Harmony Wednesday night.

“An incredibly well-played game by both teams,” St. Cloud coach Ray Whobrey said. “We were fortunate to get the big hit to win it.”

All the scoring in the game came in the final inning.  Harmony’s Noelle Stephenson tripled to right center to lead off the inning, then with one out Janisse Perez blooped a ball to center to drive her home, and ended up on third herself when St. Cloud’s throw to the plate rolled to the backstop.

Harmony had a chance to take a 2-0 lead but Hawkins made a back-handed, over the shoulder grab on Deanna Wright’s soft liner to short right,  and pitcher Addison Felblinger got the next out to end the inning,

“Keeping that second run off the board was a huge key to the game,” Whobrey said.  “They score it and whole complexion of the game changes.”

St. Cloud came back and won with a one-out rally. Felblinger reached on an infield hit to deep short. Lacey Scott followed with a bunt that first baseman Emerson Aslan fielded cleanly, but on the throw Scott and second baseman Jade Allen collided and when the ball fell to the ground, Felblinger ended on third and Scott was safe at first.

“From my vantage point, it looked like she (Scott) was running inside the baseline and prevented Em from being able to throw, but the umpires talked it over and it wasn’t called and that was that,” Harmony coach Kristi Mindrup said. 

Scott stole second and, with two runners now in scoring position, Hawkins laced her game-winning hit.

The first six innings featured a fast-moving pitching duel between Felblinger and Harmony’s Elyssa Staley.   Both pitchers allowed just two hits each through six innings and both went long stretches without allowing a baserunner as the entire game was played in one hour and nine minutes.

Felblinger retired 18 of the first 20 hitters she faced, allowing leadoff singles to Alsan in the second and Kenzie Whitehouse in the sixth.  She did not allow a walk and retired 10 batters on popouts and struck out four.

Staley gave up a walk to Maddie Reyes and a single to Grace Comiskey to open the game before sitting down 19 of the next 20 batters.

 “She was outstanding in mixing her pitches and keeping the St. Cloud hitters off balance,” Mindrup said of Staley – who recorded 13 groundball outs to go with two strikeouts.

With the win, St. Cloud went to 17-10 and most should host a regional quarterfinal next Thursday.  Harmony, who fell to 11-12 but has played a tough schedule, is in line to receive one of four at-large regional bids when they’re announced Friday.

“We’re not done yet,” Mindrup said.  “We’re a really young team that has continued to improve all season.  I’m proud of how hard this team fought tonight.”

 Whobrey added although St. Cloud handed Harmony 7-0 in the Orange Belt Conference championship game just two weeks ago that he was not surprised about Wednesday outcome..

“It was a rivalry game and they are a good team,” the veteran coach said. “I knew we were in for a dogfight tonight.”