It was oh, so close for the Bravettes in the Montezuma Classic softball tournament on Saturday, June 18.
The girls were 10-1 winners over GMG in the semifinals, sending them into the title game against Moravia.
Moravia won it, 13-12, to take the championship.
We’ll start with the Montezuma victory, the fifth of the season for the Bravettes.
The Bravettes broke open this one with a six-run fifth inning, giving them an 8-1 lead.
The win moved Montezuma to 5-12 on the season, while GMG fell to 5-7.
Each side had nine hits, but the Bravettes were much more productive with theirs.
Kalynn Wanders was 2×4, with two doubles, two runs batted in and a stolen base.
Izzy Roorda was 2×5, with two doubles, three RBIs and a stolen base.
Laila Kercheval was 2×4, with an RBI and a stolen base.
Kallie Robison pitched all seven innings, keeping the nine GMG hits scattered. She didn’t walk anyone, and struck out five. Her teammates helped by committing just two errors.
Other offensive highlights for the Bravettes: One hit each for Jadyn Sharer, Tia Shaffer and Ellen Cook. Sharer had a double and an RBI, Shaffer stole a base and drove in a run and Cook drove in a run with a double.
Abby Pope had one RBI and Chloe Snook had one of five Montezuma stolen bases.
Moravia 13, Montezuma 12
In the championship game, Moravia led 11-3 through four innings, then Montezuma mounted a charge.
The Bravettes scored four runs in the fifth to cut Moravia’s lead to 11-7.
Moravia scored twice in the sixth, extending its lead to 13-7.
Then came a five-run sixth innings by the Bravettes, cutting it to 13-12.
But that’s where it ended. Moravia outhit Montezuma 18-14 in this one.
Tia Shaffer was 2×3 for the Bravettes, with two doubles and two runs batted in. Laila Kercheval was 2×4 and batted in four runs.
Abby Pope pitched 4.1 innings, allowing four hits. She didn’t walk anyone and struck out two.
Kallie Robison pitched 2.2 innings, yielded 11 hits and no walks, and struck out two.
Madison Van Zee went 2×5 for Montezuma and reached base three times on Moravia errors.
Izzy Roorda was 2×5, Ellen Cook was 2×4 with three RBIs, Pope had 2 hits, and Robison and Jadyn Sharer had one each. Sharer hit a pair of doubles and drove hom two runs. Chloe Snook scored two runs.
Montezuma went to 5-13 on the season with this loss.
Moravia advanced to 8-10.
UP NEXT – The Bravettes host BGM on Monday, June 20 and travel to BGM the next night for a rescheduled contest.
