Dramatic walk off win for Spirit White to begin the season
After a long break from sports activities in the area, The Spirit White Softball team of Broken Bow gave everybody something to get excited about on June 18 at Tyke Arnold Field in Broken Bow. After trailing the entire game, they walked off 9-8 in dramatic fashion against Cozad.
“I was really proud of them, they definitely could have put their heads down and gave up, but they didn’t,” Ryan Coleman said. “Last year we didn’t have the bats to come back in a game like that, but I think that it shows this year we have grown a lot and were able to get enough hits to come back.”
Going into the bottom of the fifth, the Spirit found themselves in an 8-2 hole. Brianna Arguello got things going for the home team, with a double to start the inning. Kassidy Cyboron single brought Arguello around to score and made it 8-3.
After stealing second base, Cyboron was driven in by a hit to the outfield by Mya Weverka.
Joscelyn Coleman launched a ball to center field for the Spirit that again could not be handled by Cozad. Heads up base running allowed Weverka to score and cut the lead to three at 8-5.
After Coleman advance to third on errors, Kelsey Harrold hit a grounder in the infield that she was able to beat out at first. With Cozad trying to get the force at first, Weverka scored.
Two batters later Kennedy Garcia tripled to center scoring Irelyn Rosefeld and tying the game at eight apiece.
With the score even and the pressure of the win on her shoulders, Kate Holcomb was able to hit a hard-enough ball between second and third to allow Garcia to score and let the celebration begin for Spirit White.
“I was really excited because my first two at-bats I got out,” Holcomb said. I knew I had a chance to win the game with a hit.”
With everything that has happened with COVID-19 leading up to this point, it made the win all the more impactful.
“It’s really special because obviously our season is a lot shorter this year, so every win is exciting since we won’t get as many games this year,” Holcomb said.
Spirit Blue did not have the same outcome as the White, falling to Cozad by a final of 8-2.
Early on pitcher, Danielle Claflin surrendered two runs on a ball hit to left field by Cozad’s Hailey and a double by Kiley. Over the next three innings, they tacked on six more runs.
Both the Blues runs
came in the bottom of the fourth when Nikki Peters doubled to center scoring Elizabeth Nielsen and Vanessa Coleman.
“We saw alot of thing late in the game where the girls started hitting,”
Coach Tom Griffith said. “We were seeing some positive stuff it was just to late in the game.”
Spirit White is currently 3-0 on the year and Spirit Blue is 0-3 after a double header between the two on June 19.