April 26, 2024

Knoxville edges Creston in shootout

By TYLER HETU
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Emma Hanson ropes a ball down the third base line Thursday night against Knoxville. Hanson, along with teammates Sara Keeler, Tierstyn Murray, Danika Schultes and Haylee Shields were honored before first pitch for Creston's Senior Night. The group was honored for both their skills, and teammate quality with comments from head coach Mike McCabe added to their pregrame introduction. Each senior appeared in the game, contributing to the team in some way. (CNA photo)

It was a battle in Creston Thursday night, but a last-inning effort from Knoxville put it over the top against Creston in an 8-6 final.

Both softball teams entered the night playing well, with Knoxville winning four of its last five games played and Creston winning three of its last five, part of which included a five-game winning streak.

In the final frame, on a night where both sides combined for four homers, Brittany Bacorn hit the go-ahead homer to put Knoxville up 7-6.

A line drive single for Knoxville between third and shortstop scored another, giving Knoxville added insurance at 8-6.

Creston wasn’t able to get the tying run on-base in the bottom of the seventh, getting jammed on a pitch to end the game.

The bottom of the seventh had the top third of the batting order up in Sara Keeler, Peyton Rice and Gracie Hagle. A “perfect” spot to have them ready to do damage, said Creston head coach Mike McCabe, but a strikeout and a pop out put Creston behind the eight ball in what eventually came to an 8-6 final.

Battling against a team that refused to roll over and die, McCabe had pride in his team despite coming up just short.

“I was proud of our kids,” said McCabe. “I told them, arguably, (Knoxville) might be the best team we’ve played. Good, solid, hard throwing kid on the mound for them, and I was proud of the way we battled and knocked her out of the game.”

Creston faced Knoxville’s Ashlyn Finarty and Ciara Heffron. Finarty pitched four innings, striking out two and walking one. Heffron punched out three Creston bats.

For Creston, in the circle, Keely Coen pitched 5 2/3 innings before getting relieved for Haylee Gillam. Coen struck out three and gave up 14 hits, escaping out of jams through the first three innings (left five runners on-base).

McCabe noted the struggles for Creston as Knoxville’s lineup turned over throughout the game, but didn’t point out any wrongdoing by both pitchers.

“It’s one of those situations where you get to the third time through the order,” said McCabe. “We just have a hard time pitching-wise. The kids haven’t done anything wrong, just give credit where credit is due. ... (Knoxville) had some big and timely hits.”

In total, Creston scored its six runs on nine hits and one error. A third of its hits were for extra bases – two behind homers off the bat of Gracie Hagle and Emma Hanson.

Hanson’s two-run homer in the fourth made it a 3-0 game, and after a three-run inning from Knoxville the following half, Hagle’s three-run bomb in the bottom of the fifth gave Creston another cushion of three runs at 6-3.

After Hanson’s homer, McCabe knew the scoring couldn’t stop.

“I figured we were going to have to score more,” said McCabe. “They see good pitching all the time and it was a matter of them slowing themselves down and timing it up. They got that and did some damage. (Hanson’s home run) was a big hit, Gracie had a big homer for us too. We kind of answered back after they scored.”

On senior night, Keeler finished 3-for-4 with two singles and a double. Hanson, also a senior, went 1-for-3 with the two-run homer.

Seniors Heylee Shields, Danika Schultes and Tierstyn Murray also saw action on senior night, with Schultes recording a strikeout and Murray scoring a run. Shields, as the flex player in center field, recorded a put out.

Creston’s loss also comes at the hands of Knoxville head coach Carla Smith, who was part of the coaching staff for Creston when it made its State Tournament run in 2016.

With the regular season now over, McCabe thinks the team has progressed greatly this season, and is rolling into the postseason on a good note.

“We’ve come a long way. We really have. I told them, I’m pretty happy where we’re at,” said McCabe. “I wanted to win as much as anyone tonight, but I’m pretty pleased with where we’re at. ... We’re going to want it a little more next Wednesday.”

McCabe said the Panthers will take the next few days to practice, work on the fundamentals and get their heads back in order for the playoff opener against Des Moines Christian.

UP NEXT – Creston will take on Des Moines Center in the Class 3A Region 3 quarterfinal Wednesday night in Creston at 7 p.m.

Knoxville 8, Creston 6

R  H  E

KX  000 033  2  —  8  16  2

CR  001 230  0  —  6  9  2

KX: Ashlyn Finarty 4IP 2K 1BB Ciara Heffron 3IP 3K and Brittany Bacorn. CR: Keely Coen 5 2/3 3K, Haylee Gillam 1 1/3IP 1K 1BB and Peyton Rice, Sara Keeler. W — Heffron. L – Gillam. HR — KX: Brittany Bacorn, Ashlyn Finarty. CR: Gracie Hagle, Emma Hanson. 3B — None. 2B — KX: Emma Durkin (2), Finarty, Maddy Findley. CR: Keeler. RBI — KX: Finarty (3), Emma Dunkin (2), Findley (1), Reilly Finarty (1), Bacorn (1). CR: Hagle (3), Hanson (2), Keeler (1).