Last Saturday, sophomore second baseman Crystal Flores had the clutch hit that kept the Eagle Grove softball team’s postseason hopes alive, but it was an all around team effort that would help the girls knock out the 17-9 Southeast Valley Jaguars. The purple and gold hosted their second regional playoff game in three days in front of a raucous home crowd and came out on top after trailing by a run early on.
The Jaguars managed to score a run off Brooklyn Osborn in the 1st inning, but the senior ace buckled down and proceeded to pitch six scoreless innings. Osborn struck out six and walked two in the complete game.
In the bottom of the 4th, center fielder Tarissa Middleton hit a single past the Jaguar third baseman to start things off. Clean up hitter Nadia Kaiser stepped into the batter’s box and hit an RBI single to bring home Middleton and tie the game.
Third baseman Myah Edwards, Nadia Kaiser, and Flores showed off their gloves as the Eagles continued to play their best defense when it matters most. Edwards had an especially remarkable play in the top of the 7th, when she fielded a grounder on the hot corner, touched third, and threw a bullet to first baseman Maddison Kaiser for an inning ending double play.
With the contest in a deadlock in the bottom of the 7th, lead off batter Osborn drew a walk. Brylee Mrla was brought in to run for Osborn, and Coach McLaughlin opted to bring pinch hitter Lily Locke in for her first at bat of the evening. Locke capitalized on her opportunity and drove a grounder past the Jaguar third baseman. Crystal Flores stepped to the plate and smacked a walk-off single to left field that scored the speedy Mrla.
Eagle Grove advanced to play the #1 ranked Benton Bobcats on Tuesday, July 16th.
