Two District 19-5A second place teams battled it out Thursday night at Stratford High School. The Stratford Spartans and the Nimitz Cougars both entered the game with a 7-3-0 district record. This game was to determine who would finally claim the second place spot and it was a nine-inning fight until the end.

The first four innings was a standoff between the teams. Each team would get hits and work their way around the bases but before they could make it home three outs would be called. The girls fought hard to make the plays to stop the runners and to get the hits to advance themselves towards home plate. It seemed like the game would continue on in this fashion until the fifth inning.

In the fifth inning Nimitz hits to the outfield started to fall. The Cougars took advantage of Stratford’s errors of missed catches and got three runners in to take the lead of 3-0 going into the sixth inning.

Stratford’s pitcher, Lauren Brady found the strike zone and the Spartans made three quick outs to get them up to bat. Stratford was not going to be outdone, the Spartans began connecting with the ball and loading the bases. As one runner slid into home other batters were finding the empty spots on the field and in the bottom of the sixth Stratford caught up and tied the game 3-3.

It was all coming down to the seventh inning and which team would step up and secure their second place position in the district. Both teams attempted but with no luck they continued past the seventh and into the eighth where they still could not score.

The ninth inning started off with strong hitting by the Cougars. Nimitz’s Rachelle Harris blasted a ball at the pitchers mound and it struck Brady. Brady fell to her knees but continued to make the play by stopping the run home but she remained on the ground once the out was made. She was replaced and with the bases loaded the next batter was walked allowing a Cougar to walk across home plate. This gave Nimitz a 4-3 lead with Stratford getting the last bat. Nimitz pitcher, Jessica Davis whose arm did not tire struck the Spartans out and the Cougars held the Spartans to three and ended with a final score of 4-3.

For the Spartans Rachel Darrough, Jackie Dickey, and Lindsey Gordan all scored a run. The Couagars’ Rachelle Harris scored two runs; Morgan Smith and Frances Kirsch each scored one.

The Spartans will take on MacArthur April 10th and the Cougars will play the first place Memorial Mustangs on April 11th.

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