WASHINGTON – The education of softball came into sharp focus as the Central Lee girls staged a wild comeback to advance in Class 3A Region 8 softball action Saturday at No. 12 Washington.
A critical Demon base running error in the bottom of the seventh helped the Lady Hawks to a 5-4 dramatic come-from-behind win and moved them into Tuesday’s regional final at St. Vincent Athletic Complex against Davenport Assumption at 7 p.m.
Central Lee had just completed a four-run rally in the top of the 7th that ended abruptly with a double play for a 5-4 lead, when Washington went to work in the bottom of frame.
Freshman Elaina Barlow, on in relief of starter Jayln Hawk, hit Washington’s Emery Walton to start the bottom half. Colbie Greiner then laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the Demon sophomore into scoring position with one out. Washington's Riley Libe followed with a hard shot to Shanna Buford at shortstop. Buford momentarily bobbled it moving to her left and couldn’t get the out allowing Walton, who had moved to second on a wild pitch to get 60 feet from tying the game, again with just one out.
Washington’s Lauren Hinrichsen would work a six-pitch walk to load the bases. Her sister Kendall Hinrichsen would then fly out to right fielder Kamryn Cox. Walton had advanced halfway down the line and had to go back and tag up at third preventing a potential tying run from scoring. Leighton Salazar then popped up the first pitch she saw to shallow right field and a running Jaliann Hawk secured the flyball and the win setting off a celebration along the third-base line.
After working out of the bases loaded jam, Barlow said she just trusted the defense behind her.
“I honestly couldn’t have done it without my team behind me. Coming into this game we talked about coming here and winning. It was a very big thing for us,” the freshman hurler said.
“I needed to just throw one pitch at a time. I couldn’t give up because the defense behind me wanted it as much as I did. I had a little bit of nervousness on that last hitter with the bases loaded and them being down by one, but I just concentrated on one pitch at a time.”
Head Coach Jason Hawk said he was very surprised to see Walton halfway down the line on the fly ball to right.
“She would’ve scored. They had a base running mistake there. That girl was 100% scoring.”
Hawk found himself in the very same situation in the top of the seventh, when Central Lee put together quite possibly the Hawks' most important rally in years.
With Central Lee trailing 4-1 going into the seventh, Barlow popped out to second just getting under a pitch to start the Hawks’ rally.
Aubree Bunnell then started a streak of four straight singles with Jaci Hawk, Carlee Pezley and Buford following suit. Buford’s rip to center scored Hawk and Bunnell to cut the lead to one at 4-3.
Kenna Sandoval would get plunked on the upper arm by an Isabella Salazar riser to load the bases again with Pezley and Buford in scoring position. Marie Young then followed with shot up the middle that got past Libe at second scoring Pezley and Buford on a close play at home. The throw home allowed Young to move into scoring position at second with the Hawks up 5-4. Jayln Hawk then flied out to center, but Young’s courtesy runner Layla Gonterman was doubled off at second on the play ending the inning and stranding Sandoval at third.
Jason Hawk said the rally was put together by girls who have believed all year they can play in any game with any team.
“Honestly what I told the girls before we went up there was relax. Go up there and take a good a bat,” he said.
“We have to hit our pitches. (Salazar) might come out and throw one on the outside corner or inside corner and that’s not one we can hit hard. That’s what we really expressed that last inning. Get a good pitch to drive.
“We had some really good at bats from some of those girls with just foul ball, foul ball, after foul ball. They battled and there was no give up. There’s no give up in this team and I’m so proud of them. It wasn’t just one girl.”
He said the Hawks have found themselves in several similar games this year where they’ve been able to put together five or six runs when they were down.
“That’s just who they are. It doesn’t matter who we’re playing."
The game was moving at fast pace with no team scoring in the first three innings. Jaci Hawk opened the game with a single to center, but the Hawks then went down in order stranding her at second. The Demons opened the bottom of the first with a double by Leighton Salazar. She was moved to second on a sacrifice, but Sandoval robbed a bloop infield hit off the ground on a diving play and turned to find Buford at third to catch Salazar for a double play.
Central Lee got things going in the fourth when Sandoval hit a one-out double to the fence in center, and Young followed with an RBI single to center. Gonterman, courtesy running, would get stranded at second after a strikeout and flyout to center.
Washington would counter with two in the bottom of the fourth and two more in the bottom of the fifth highlighted by Alyvia Anderson’s one-out shot to the left side that got past Jaci Hawk at second and Kamryn Cox in right field scoring Reagan Miller and Ella Griener for the 4-1 Washington lead. Barlow came in and issued a walk but then got a fly out and ground out to get out of the inning.
The Hawks went 1-2-3 in the top of the sixth and Barlow worked out of tough jam in the bottom half aided by a nice throw from Jaci Hawk in left to get Lauren Hinrichsen trying to score from second base. A walk would load the bases again, but Buford would gobble up a grounder and throw out Anderson to end the threat setting up the seventh inning theatrics.
Jayln Hawk went 4 1/3 allowing four runs all earned on six hits while walking four and striking out two. Barlow went 2 2/3 without allowing a run on three hits and walking three.
Jason Hawk said both pitchers provided different looks for the Demons.
“The two pitchers pitched very well. That’s a very good hitting team and they only scored in two innings and when you do that you’re doing something right,” he said.
“If Jaylen started struggling I had a short leash tonight. She pitched very well, but she did start struggling and I had Elaina ready. With her having a bit more speed (Washington) couldn’t adjust to that change.”
Maria Young led the Hawks at the plate going 2-for-4 with three RBI. Jaci Hawk and Pezley also had two-hit nights for Central Lee. Buford, Sandoval, Jaliann Hawk and Bunnell had the other Hawk hits.
Buford, a senior, said she had a simple mindset with the bases loaded in the seventh.
“Going into that last at-bat we just wanted to find a hit. Keep it on the ground and give us something to work with,” she said. “Coach said to relax and find something up there.”
She said it was the most rewarding win she’s had in her time on the varsity squad.
“This is the biggest win we’ve ever had probably. I don’t think we’ve been past the second round.”
The loss to Washington in the first round last year, and the 12-2 loss back on June 18 provided a spark for the Hawks Saturday.
“We didn’t play our A game there last time and we practiced really hard this week. That loss really lit the fire for us this week,” Buford said.
The win gives Central Lee its 25th win of the season and pits the Hawks against the No. 5 Assumption Knights (23-12-1) Tuesday night in Davenport at 7 p.m. Assumption rallied to beat West Burlington/Notre Dame 6-3 after trailing 3-1 through 3 ½ innings. The Knights put up four runs in the bottom of the fourth to get that win.
The winner of Tuesday’s game will advance to the IGHSAU State Softball Tournament at the Harlan and Hazel Rogers Sports Complex in Fort Dodge starting July 22.
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