A game that started with an abundance of runs for both Milan and Gallatin turned quickly into a pitchers duel by the middle innings, with Milan senior Cadence Pauley and Gallatin sophomore AnnaBelle Ball trading scoreless frames from the bottom of the 4th inning into the bottom of the 14th. Leading off the 14th inning for the 4th-seeded Lady Wildcats, Pauley hit a powerful line drive over the left field fence, giving Milan an instant victory, 5-4 in action heard on KTTN FM 92.3.
Wet field conditions pushed the first two games of the Class 2, District 6 tournament from Putnam County High School in Unionville to Trenton High School, which worked as an effective “midway point” between Gallatin and Milan for the quarterfinal between the Grand River Conference foes. Pauley struggled in the top of the 1st inning, with Gallatin putting both Ashley Feiden and Alex Endicott on base, before back-to-back strikeouts and a wild pitch left runners on 2nd and 3rd with two outs. Lady Bulldog center fielder Presley Wells found the right-center field alley for a two-out triple, giving Gallatin an early 2-0 lead, with a single by Ball sending home Wells, pushing the lead to 3-0.
Milan surged to the lead in the bottom of the 2nd inning, with the Lady ‘Cats loading the bases on a single by Auburn Cole, a fielding error allowing Kyla White to reach base, and a walk to Pauley. Amy Pickering sent a hard ground ball under the glove of the Gallatin second baseman, and by the time the Bulldogs retrieved the ball in deep right-center field, Pickering was on third base with a bases-clearing triple. A single by freshman Emerson Pauley scored Pickering for the 4-3 advantage.
Gallatin scored a run on a Pauley wild pitch in the 4th inning, with Abigail Burns crossing the plate to even the score at 4. From that point, Pauley dominated, putting up 10 straight scoreless innings, allowing only three base hits in that stretch. Ball was nearly as dominant for Gallatin, throwing 11 straight scoreless innings for the Lady Bulldogs before Pauley’s game-winner.
The first game of the quarterfinal session at Trenton High School was not as dramatic, with archrivals Brookfield and Marceline meeting in the 1/8 seed matchup. The Lady Tigers run-ruled Brookfield 12-2.
Milan and Marceline will play each other in a semifinal showdown at Thursday night at Putnam County High School in Unionville, with coverage of the 5 o’clock contest on KTTN FM 92.3. Putnam County and South Harrison will battle in an all-GRC duel at 7 o’clock on Thursday night.
Other high school softball scores from Tuesday night were:
Class 1, District 15
Pattonsburg 11, Tri-County 0
Albany 4, Gilman City 3
Class 1, District 14
Stanberry 9, King City 7
South Holt 3, NE Nodaway 2
Class 1, District 13
Winston 5, Stewartsville/Osborn 3
Class 1, District 12
Hardin Central 8, Hale/Bosworth 3
Class 3, District 8
Chillicothe 11, Maryville 0
Savannah 3, Cameron 0
Kirksville 2, Benton 1
Macon 6, Richmond 1
