Down 3-0 headed into the middle innings of Tuesday night’s Grand River Conference Eastern Division game at Gallatin, the Princeton Lady Tigers appeared to be headed toward their third loss in conference play in as many outings. However, the PHS girls showed determination and fight, with freshman right-hander Lauren Krohn keeping her team in the game, while the Lady Tigers hustled and hit their way to a 3-3 tie through six innings.
In the top of the seventh, the Lady Tigers (2-5, 0-3) had their best opportunity yet to break into the GRC win column, with a bases-loaded, no out chance. However, Gallatin senior Karley Salmon worked out of the jam unscathed, sending the game into extra innings. In the bottom of the ninth, Krohn struck out her 12th batter of the game for the second out, but the pitch got away to the backstop, sending Kelsey Maxwell home with the winning run, in a 4-3 victory for the Lady Bulldogs.
Gallatin (4-3, 2-2) opened the scoring in the bottom of the 1st inning, with a single by Salmon sending in starting pitcher Caragan Baker, who led off the inning with a single, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Bethany Bailey, and took third on a stolen base. In the Bulldog third, Maddi Michael led off with a single, moved to second on a wild pitch, took third on a single by Baker, and scored on a fielding error by Princeton. Baker, on second base after the error, took third base via a passed ball, and scored on a wild pitch.
Princeton’s first run was manufactured in the fourth inning, as junior third baseman Lindsey Batson cracked a double to open the frame, and took two bases on a grounder to second by Becca Kile, sliding home ahead of the throw from Gallatin first baseman Zoe Bradford. In the sixth, Princeton tied the game in dramatic fashion, with Krohn leading off with a single. After a fly ball to left from Lacie Lewis, Batson lofted a triple into the right field corner, scoring Krohn. Tom Johnson had the call on Hot Country Z 101.7:
With Batson on third and one out, Kile struck out, with Jasmine Allen tied the game with a clutch two-out base hit, scoring Batson to even the game at 3. Despite taking the loss, Krohn was brilliant for Princeton, striking out 12 Gallatin batters and holding the Lady Bulldogs to just four hits over nine innings of work. Two of the four runs scored were earned. Caragan Baker got a no-decision for Gallatin, going the first six-plus innings, allowing five hits and three runs (two earned) with three strikeouts. After escaping the bases-loaded mess in the Tiger 7th, Salmon earned the victory out of the Gallatin bullpen, with three innings of one-hit, one-strikeout, shutout work.
In other action across the GRC East on Tuesday night, Trenton cruised to a 17-0, five inning win over South Harrison, Putnam County shutout Polo 2-0, while Maysville claimed a decisive road win at Milan, 15-2.
In the GRC’s Western Division, Stanberry continued to cruise toward a third straight potential divisional title, with a 12-1 takedown of North Andrew. Albany downed Worth County by a score of 4-1, with King City defeating Pattonsburg, 9-2. In non-conference play, Braymer lost to Lathrop, 8-0.
