When Lily Bryan raced home on a Rosemary Bermester single to score in the eighth, it seemed as if it were just another tacked-on run to assure Yellow Springs of a win June 8 in a simulated softball game at Kansas City’s Kauffman Stadium.
Turns out the Bulldogs needed it in a 15-14 Yellow Springs win.
The two Metro Buckeye Conference teams combined for 31 hits and 18 walks in the nine-inning game.
Yeah, high school games normally go seven innings, but this is a board game and no kids got tired while “playing.”
The lead changed hands four times before Yellow Springs charged ahead for good in the bottom of the sixth.
Legacy Christian had tied the contest at 10 apiece with five runs in the fifth and Paige Daughtrey’s score in the top of the sixth, but the Bulldogs countered with four runs in the bottom half of the inning to jump out in front by a 14-10 count.
The Knights were not finished, however.
Legacy added a run in the eighth to pull to 14-11, then Springs’ Bryan scored her run in the bottom of the eighth for a 15-11 Bulldog lead.
The Knights scored three runs in the top of the ninth, and had the tying and go-ahead runs at second and first, when the next batter grounded into a game-ending double play.
With the kind of game Bryan enjoyed early on, her late-game score felt like an afterthought. Bryan planted home run balls between the outfield fountains twice, once in the second to score herself and Hailey Burk; and again in the fifth to score herself, Bre Wallace and Ava Schell.
In all, Bryan enjoyed a perfect 4-for-4 day with the two homers, a walk (which led to the game winning run), four runs scored and six knocked in.
Rebecca Spencer (3-for-4 with a triple, two walks, a stolen base, run scored and two driven in), Bermester (3-for-5, with a walk and three RBI), and Wallace (3-for-5, three runs scored and an RBI) all contributed. Zoe Lafferty had two hits, while Burk and Schell had one each.
Victoria Howarah led Legacy Christian at the plate with her 4-for-5 afternoon with four runs scored and two RBI. Anne Kensinger had three hits, including a triple, walked twice, scored twice and knocked in three Knight runs.
Daughtrey, Hannah Barber and Kiley Mach had two hits each.
Yellow Springs is now 2-1 through four weeks of the simulated softball season.
Legacy Christian is now 1-2.
HALFWAY POINT NEARS: With four weeks down in the nine-week simulated softball season, Xenia is the lone Greene County team that remains undefeated thus far, and the 4-0 Buccaneers have a bye when the softball kids get back on the diamond in a week or two. Fairborn is right behind with a 3-1 mark, with Yellow Springs, Bellbrook and Beavercreek at 2-1.
BASEBALL UP NEXT: Week five of the simulated baseball season is up next. Upcoming games (in order) are Carroll (4-0) versus Bellbrook (3-0); Beavercreek (3-0) taking on Fairborn (1-2); Greeneview (1-2) battling Ohio Heritage Conference foe Cedarville (1-3); and Xenia (1-3) playing Legacy Christian (0-4).
Yellow Springs (2-2) has the baseball bye this week.
