MSAC TITLE RACE TIGHTENS AS BRECKENRIDGE, COLEMAN SPLIT
As the regular season comes to a close, the Mid-state Activities Conference regular-season title race has come down to three teams: Breckenridge, Coleman and Sacred Heart Academy.
Monday evening, Breckenridge and Coleman squared off with that race as the backdrop.
Fittingly, both games in Monday night’s doubleheader between the Huskies and the Comets were nail-biters. Breckenridge took game one with a 6-4 victory in extra innings and Coleman took game two with a 3-2 win.
The series split keeps Coleman’s league title hopes alive, while Breckenridge sees its title hopes vanish as it now has three conference defeats. Coleman closes out the conference campaign at 14-2 while Breckenridge falls to 9-3 with four MSAC games to go, including Wednesday’s home double dip versus conference-leader Mt. Pleasant SHA (12-1 MSAC).
The first game was an extra-inning thriller. The Huskies came out on top 6-4, finally ending things with a two-run performance in the top of the ninth.
The first few innings of the contest were a pitching duel between Coleman sophomore Madison Miller and Breckenridge senior Morgan Westall. Considering the Comets’ deadly batting lineup, Westall’s performance in the circle was especially impressive.
Breckenridge’s offense finally found its legs in extra innings. Each team notched a couple of runs in the eighth, pushing the score to 4-4. Breckenridge secured the two game-clinching runs in the top of the ninth, cashing in on a handful of walks and a single.
Game two was also a close contest. This time, Coleman came out on top, eking out a 3-2 victory.
Breckenridge’s pitching kept it in the game, but the Huskies could not find the run support to complete the sweep. Thanks to some clutch-hitting from the underclassmen (freshman Elley Johnson and sophomores Makyah Rogers and Timeea Middleton), Coleman put together just enough runs to win.
The race for the top of the Mid-state Activities Conference continues Wednesday night, as Breckenridge hosts Sacred Heart. With just one loss in league play this season, Sacred Heart can clinch the regular season title with a sweep of the Huskies.
Coleman will be keeping a close eye on the matchup as well.
Breckenridge, on the other hand, now has three conference losses and cannot win the crown. However, it can play spoiler when it hosts SHA Wednesday at 4 p.m.