Freshman Emerson Aslan came off the bench and hit a massive two-run homer, and then turned in the defensive play of the game, as the Harmony rallied past arch-rival St. Cloud, 8-7, in Friday night softball action.
The game did not start off well for the Longhorns (1-2); the Bulldogs (4-1) had their first five hitters reach base safely. Brooklyn Scott led off the game with a sharp single to left, Brianna Costa was hit by a pitch and Olivia Lemeau reached on a bunt single. Addison Felblinger was safe on a fielder’s choice that scored Scott and Gracelyn Watford was hit by a pitch to score Costa. A wild pitch and a sac fly by Leah McLaughlin plated two more runs as St. Cloud raced out to a 4-0 lead.
Bulldogs’ starting pitcher Costa sailed through the first two innings before running into trouble in the third. With two outs and two on, Lindsey Green hit a ringing double to left center to plate two runs and Dominica Kohout followed with an RBI double to cut the lead to 4-3.
Harmony took its first lead in the bottom of the fourth. Angelica Castro was hit by a pitch and Aslan, pinch hit and deposited the first pitch on to the top of the baseball batting cage well behind the left field fence for her first career home run and a 5-4 Harmony lead.
St. Cloud regained the lead in the sixth. McLaughlin led off with a single and advanced to second on a Kamrie Poppell walk. Hewett scored McLaughlin on a sac bunt and both Poppell and Hewett came around on the play to score on a throwing error as St. Cloud took a two-run lead.
But Harmony came right back in its half of the sixth to retake the lead. With runners on second and third and one out, Ireland Sibbitt’s double tied the score and Green followed with a two-out base hit to put the Longhorns back on top 8-7.
Aslan would then turn in a ‘web gem’. Felblinger led off the seventh by driving the ball over the leftfielder’s head. Picking the ball up at the base of the wall, Asian fired a strike to second base on the fly to cut down Felblinger trying to stretch the play into a double.
“She is going to be a special player,” Harmony coach Kristi Mindrup said of Aslan. “She’s a good hitter and has an absolute cannon for an arm defensively.”
Green was an unsung hero for the Longhorns. After falling behind 4-0 in the first inning, she retired 17 of the next 20 hitters. Even in the three-run sixth, she only gave up one hit but was victimized by the throwing error. In all, she picked up the win with a complete game – allowing just four hits while striking out nine. She also added two hits and two RBI. Sibbitt, Kohout and Amanda Whalen also had two hits for the Longhorns.
“Really proud of our entire team tonight, especially our seniors,” Mindrup added. “We got down early but kept our composure and fought back. It’s early but it’s always a big to get a win against your rivals.”
Mindrup hopes the Longhorns will use the momentum of Friday’s win as they host Rockledge (2-1) on Tuesday before traveling to Hagerty (3-1) on Wednesday. “It doesn’t get any easier for us, we’re playing a difficult schedule this year.”
St. Cloud returns to action next week with a home game against Winter Park (1-2) and a road game Thursday against Cornerstone Charter (2-4).
