Bellevue scores in bottom of tenth to nip Lady Whippets
By CHUCK RIDENOUR Daily Globe Sports Editor
BELLEVUE — A month ago, offense was not in short supply when Shelby and Bellevue tangled.
In a high-scoring affair, the Lady Whippets dropped a 10-9 decision back on April 15.
Friday night in the Division II Sectional championship game it was pitching and defense as the Lady Red pushed across the game’s only run in the bottom of the tenth inning of a 1-0 verdict.
SHS coach Sami Martin figured going in her team was going to have to hit to have a chance, based on the earlier result.
“The last time they hit us very well and we also hit them very well. The fact it was 0-0 going into the tenth surprised me. I thought we were going to have to put lot of runs on because they would too. The fact it was a dogfight to end the end in a different way than the last time surprised me,” said Martin.
Bellevue Ella Messina slapped a shot up the middle took a bad hop and out of the reach of shortstop Mallary Gundrum for a basehit — only her team’s third of the game— that allowed Molly Foos to score from second with two outs. Foos opened the frame with a walk and moved to second on a wild pitch.
Shelby had opportunities to score, but couldn’t get the big hit they needed. “I felt we definitely hit well. We had a number of girls with one or two hits against a very nice pitcher. We didn’t string the hits together,” said Martin.
The Whippets finished with eight hits, including a triple by Maggie Bogner and a double by Gundrum. Bogner and Gundrum both had two hits as did Demi Hipp. Lexi Thompson and Sadie Smith each had one.
SHS hurler Lexi Booker and Maci Smythe locked up in a duel with neither not giving the opposing batters much to work with.
Smythe finished with 15 strikeouts and no walks. Booker, in what Martin described as her best outing of the season, totaled seven strikeouts and two walks.
“Super impressed with Lexi’s pitching. She had a huge outing for us. Her battle this year has been walking batters. We challenged her in practice about getting that first pitch for a strike. Then we can work out and work out. She accepted the challenge and she was where we knew she could be at the end of the season,” said Martin.
Shelby had opportunities in both the eighth and tenth but were denied.
Gundrum hammered a double into the right-center gap with one out in the eighth, but Smythe wiggled out of the jam by inducing a fly ball to center from Sadie Smith and then striking out Hipp.
In the tenth, Bogner tripled into the right field corner with two outs before Smythe buckled down and struck out Gundrum.
SHS will lose three seniors — Thompson, Smith and Sophia Niese.
“We’re losing three seniors and we’re very young. The younger players kept gaining experience I’m really excited and looking forward to next year,” said Martin.