The two-time defending Grand River Conference Western Division champions from Stanberry opened the 2018 softball season with a title on Saturday, going 3-0 in sweeping their way to the championship of the Bill Hill Memorial Tournament in Albany.
After an early game challenge from the #7 seed Princeton Lady Tigers, a strong fourth-inning surge sent Stanberry from a 3-3 tie to a 10-4 win, sending the Lady Bulldogs into a semifinal meeting with Gallatin, and dropping Princeton into the consolation semifinal round against King City. Gallatin opened its season in dominating style, taking down King City in Saturday morning’s quarterfinal round, 14-2.
On the top half of the bracket, top-seeded North Harrison took a victory over North Andrew (score unknown), while Worth County doubled up the host Albany Lady Warriors, 6-3. Albany picked up a victory over North Andrew in consolation semifinal round action, 9-6, while North Harrison advanced to the final with a win (score unknown) over Worth County.
Princeton picked up its first victory of the season in the early Saturday afternoon consolation semifinals, 7-5 over King City, moving the Lady Tigers into the consolation final, where PHS fell to Albany, 9-6, giving the Lady Warriors the consolation title, and leaving Princeton settling for sixth place. A score on the 7th place game between North Andrew and King City is not yet available.
In perhaps the most exciting game of the tournament, Stanberry and Gallatin met in an “All-Bulldog” semifinal encounter, with Stanberry surviving by a score of 6-5. Gallatin would bounce back to salvage third place, grinding out an 8-7 win over Worth County, while Stanberry and North Harrison turned into a pitchers duel, won by the Lady Bulldogs by a score of 3-1.
