St. Anthony Falls In Class 2A State Softball Opener

PEORIA -- Taylor Ridge Rockridge scored early while St. Anthony struggled to dent the plate as the Rockets tallied a 6-2 victory over the Bulldogs in the Class 2A State Softball Tournament at Sluggar Park Friday.

The Rockets tallied a run in the first and St. Anthony came right back in the second to tie the score. But that didn't last long as Taylor Ridge Rockridge came back with a four-run inning then controlled the Bulldogs the rest of the way.

St. Anthony rumbled in the first inning as Cameran Rios led off the frame with a single. With one out, Addie Wernsing drew a walk. Hailey Niebrugge then got an infield single to load the bases with only one out. But the Rockets' pitcher Kendra Lewis toughened up and got the next two batters on strikeouts to end that threat.

The Rockets then tallied as leadoff batter Paxton Brown singled to left field. With one out, Kori Needham doubled, also to left field, and that brought Brown home. The Bulldogs got out of the frame on a ground out and a strikeout by Lucy Fearday.

St. Anthony then came to bat in the top of the second. With one out, Abbi Hatton knotted the score at 1-1 with a home run that hit the scoreboard. The Rockets then got the next two outs on a fly ball and a ground out.

Taylor Ridge Rockridge then broke the game open with a four run second. Mikaylin Hofer led off with a single and stole second. Daytonah Downing drew a walk and both runners stole bases with Mikaylin Hofer standing at third and Downing at second. With one out, Morgan Hofer hit  a ball that brought Mikaylin Hofer home on a fielder's choice.

Brown came to bat and nailed a single and that brought two runs home. Lewis followed with a single scoring the fourth run.

St. Anthony placed a runner on in the third on a single by Wernsing but the Rockets came up with a double play to end the frame.

The Bulldogs put two runners on base in the fourth.  With one out, Sydney Kibler drew a walk and Faber followed with a double. But the Rockets toughened up once again and got the final two outs on a fly ball and a strikeout.

St. Anthony broke loose with a run in the fifth to pull within 5-2. C. Rios led off with a single and took second on a wild pitch. With one out, Wernsing singled home Rios. But the next two outs came on ground outs.

The Rockets came back to tally their final run in the sixth. Taylor Dieterich led off with a single, stole second, went to third on a wild pitch and came home on a ground out by Mikaylin Hofer.

The Bulldogs went up and down in the sixth and put C. Rios on in the seventh. With two outs, Wernsing was hit by a pitch to reach base four out of four times. But the third out came on a fly ball to end the game.

Lewis finished the contest on the mound, allowing two runs on eight hits, two walks while striking out six.

Fearday took the tough-luck loss, working six innings, allowing six runs on six hits, three walks and striking out three.

Taylor Ridge Rockridge advanced to the championship game with a 37-1 record at 3:30 p.m. Saturday and will face Beecher, a 7-3 winner over Johnston City.

"That one big inning was tough," said St. Anthony Coach Mikayla Taylor. "We had that one inning. We tried to make a lot of adjustments. Lucy pitched a great game. We just kind of fell apart there that one inning.

"But I'm really proud of them and there is nothing to hang our heads about.

"Lucy was mad Monday at herself for walking four. She was really locked in today. I was proud of her approach. Addie did a great job getting on base all four times. I couldn't have asked for a better first inning for us getting runners on base but we stranded too many runners.

"This is such a great group of girls. The last four years have just been fun."

The Bulldogs drop to 24-4 on the season and will play for third place at 1 p.m. Saturday against Johnston City.

"Rockridge is a great team," said Taylor. "They won state last year. It was a tough draw getting them in the first game. But we'll be excited to play for third place when tomorrow comes."

Class 2A State Tournament

St. Anthony                 010    010    0    --    2-8-0

Taylor Ridge               140    001    x    --    6-6-0

WP -- Lewis. LP -- Fearday.

St. Anthony -- C. Rios, 3 singles; Niebrugge, single; Hatton, home run, 1 RBI; Wernsing, 2 singles, 1 RBI; Faber, double

Taylor Ridge Rockridge -- Brown, 2 singles; Needham, double, 1 RBI; Lewis, single, 1 RBI; Mi. Hofer, single, 1 RBI; Dieterich, single