In the championship game of the Class 1A, Area 13 softball tournament, Spring Garden downed Collinsville 10-0 The win came Tuesday of last week at Spring Garden and the Panthers improved to 18-9 overall. Spring Garden, still undefeated against 1A opposition, hosts Jefferson Christian this afternoon at 3:30 p.m. in the first round of sub-state play. The winner of the two-of-three series will play again Saturday against the winner of the Waterloo versus Skyline series.
Panthers coach Ann Welsh said not chasing pitches out of the strike zone would be a key factor for Spring Garden against Jefferson Christian.
In the championship game, Spring Garden led 5-0 after four innings then scored five runs in the fifth to invoke the mercy rule. Bree Blevins opened the fifth with a single to right field. Harley Bonds doubled Blevins home then Lindsey Lambert was hit by a pitch. Shortstop Tara Mullinax doubled but Bonds was thrown out at home plate. Third baseman Carly Mitchell followed with a two-run double. Heather Smart doubled to score Mitchell and Jordan Sides drove in Smart with Spring Garden’s 12th hit and seventh double of the game.
At bat, Mitchell, Blevins, Mullinax, Smart and Sides all had two hits. Mitchell drove in three runs. Blevins, Smart and Sides had two RBI each. Mullinax scored three times.
Blevins, a freshman, tossed the five-inning shutout. She struck out nine and allowed two hits.
“They were pretty excited,” said Welsh of her players’ reactions to the tournament sweep.
She said the team’s three seniors – Anna Frost, Mitchell and Parris – seemed particularly pleased that they could say they had won Area championships four consecutive years.
Spring Garden opened the tournament Monday with a 14-5 victory over Gaylesville. That game started about 9 p.m., some five hours behind schedule. Blevins and Lambert both had three hits. Mitchell and Bridget Parris had three RBI each. Mullinax scored three runs. Blevins was the winning pitcher. She fanned 15 Trojans and allowed three earned runs on seven hits and two walks.
After downing Gaylesville, Spring Garden defeated Collinsville 4-2 in the winners’ bracket final. Smart, a seventh-grader, had two hits including Spring Garden’s only extra base hit of the game – a double – and drove in two runs. Lambert and Breanna Messer also had two hits. Messer and Mitchell drove in Spring Garden’s other two runs.
Blevins pitched all seven innings and earned the win. She scattered six hits and a walk and recorded 10 strikeouts. Blevins shut out Collinsville for six innings. In the seventh, Collinsville put together five consecutive hits to score twice. Welsh praised Blevins for being “mentally tough” in closing the victory. At first base, Parris made a nice scoop of a one-hop throw from Mullinax at shortstop for the final out.
If Spring Garden defeats Jefferson Christian and Waterloo downs Skyline, Spring Garden will host Waterloo Saturday. If Skyline defeats Waterloo, the Panthers will travel to Skyline.
