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WMU survives Pekin in 1st round thriller
Wolves cut down game-tying run at the plate, move on in regional softball tournament
WINFIELD — A topsy-turvy first round regional softball game in Winfield ended with a bang-bang play at the plate on Monday night.
The Wolves were clinging on to a one-run lead with two outs in the top of the seventh inning, when Pekin eighth-grader Isabelle Green lined a base hit into center field, which threatened to score the run from second base.
A wild relay play to the plate nipped the runner at home, as catcher Lilly Heckethorn tagged out the potential game-tying run, allowing the Wolves to escape with a 9-8 victory.
The ball was scooped up in center field by Josie Nelson, who launched the ball toward home plate, but pitcher Makiah Lower cut the throw off. She turned and fired a strike into Heckethorn to narrowly save the game.
“Josie had an amazing throw, and I cut it off,” Lower said. “I probably shouldn't have done that, but at least I got the out.”
The tag was applied just in time, as one of the closest plays of the night went the way of the Wolves, leading to a home field celebration.
“My heart was beating,” Lower said. “I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, please be out!’”
The Wolves had to storm back from an early 7-1 deficit. Pekin was all over WMU in its first three at-bats, but the Wolves scored seven runs in the bottom of the third, highlighted by a hot shot off the bat of Nelson, which went off the Pekin third basemen and into the outfield for a two-run double.
“Once the bats get going and a lot of people get on base, the momentum of it just keeps going, and rolling,” Nelson said. “Getting the bats going helps a lot.”
From that point forward, Lower buckled down in the Circle for WMU, and Ezra Parsons came in and had a strong relief appearance for Pekin. Neither team would score in the fourth or fifth frames.
Pekin tied the game up in the top of the sixth when Alex Parsonslined a two-out RBI single in the outfield. Ezra Parsons sent a high fly ball to left field with two on, but WMU freshman Josie Ford got under the ball and made the catch to keep it tied at 8-8.
With two outs and a runner on third in the bottom of the sixth, Ford came to the plate with a chance to give the Wolves the lead. She sent a dribbler to second base, but beat out the throw at first place to send the eventual game-winning run to the plate.
“I was really nervous,” Ford said. “I just tucked my head and went as fast as I could."
Nelson and Loewr each had a pair of hits and a pair of RBIs to colead the WMU offense. Heckethorn finished the night with three hits and an RBI.
Pekin’s Myah Bainbridge went 2-for-3 with four RBIs. Parsons finished 2-for-3 with two RBIs. Greene went 3-for-4 with an RBI. Katelynn Schultz had two hits and an RBI, and starting pitcher Addison Smith was 3-for-4 at the plate.
It was the Wolves’ second one-run win over Pekin in the last two years. The first of which being the historic 28-27 game last season. Monday night’s win was WMU’s largest comeback win since that day.
“In the past, they've gotten down like that, and they kind of tuck their tails and whimper off,” said Wolves’ head coach Terry Reynolds. “Not tonight. They stuck to it.”
WMU (6-19) will play either Holy Trinity Catholic or WACO in West Point on Wednesday night. Pekin ends its season 4-22.
