Lady Longhorns fall short in state championship round

Marengo Academy found itself unable to best just one squad last weekend as it finished as the AISA Class A State Runner-up in softball.

MARENGO 7, CHAMBERS 5

The Lady Longhorns began their state title defense in dramatic fashion Friday as Trinity Wilkinson stroked a walk-off triple in the bottom of the seventh for the win. Makenzie Moore scored earlier in the inning on a dropped third strike with two away to cut the deficit to 5-4.

Chambers scored two of its runs in the first and three more in the second to hold a 5-3 lead.

Marengo answered a 2-0 deficit with back-to-back home runs from Mary Grace Sheffield and Riley Newton in the first. Wilkinson later doubled before scoring on Mary Kendall Glass’s grounder to second.

Newton got the win in the circle, striking out three while allowing one hit in five innings of relief work.

MARENGO 7, ABBEVILLE CHRISTIAN 6

The Lady Longhorns traded punches with Abbeville until the very end Friday, pulling out a 7-6 victory to move to 2-0 in the bracket.

Marengo erased a 6-5 deficit in the bottom of the sixth when Jessi Flowers scored on an error to tie the game. Wilkinson’s sacrifice fly to right drove in Natalee Newton for the go-ahead run.

Marengo took the early lead in the home side of the first when Sheffield and Newton scored on an error. After Abbeville took the lead in the second and expanded it to 5-2 in the third, Marengo began chipping away. Taylor Jordan grounded to short to plate Sheffield, cutting it to 5-3.

Sheffield then stroked a two-out double in the fourth to drive in Flowers and Katey Glass and tie the game at five.

Katey Glass picked up the win with a complete game effort that saw her allow only five hits and two earned runs.

WILCOX 4, MARENGO 2

The Lady Longhorns fell into the loser’s bracket in their first game Saturday, losing to Wilcox 4-2. Marengo surrendered four runs in the top of the first inning on a walk, catcher’s interference and a double.

Sheffield homered in the home half of the first and fifth innings but Marengo never could get back in the game.

MARENGO 13, CORNERSTONE 0

The Lady Longhorns surged out of the loser’s bracket with authority when they skunked Cornerstone Christian 13-0. Marengo did most of its damage in an 11-run second inning to runaway and hide in the contest.

Flowers doubled in Natalee Newton and Moore to open the scoring. After Flowers scored on an error to make it 3-0, Wilkinson ripped a three-run double to plate Katey Glass, Sheffield and Riley Newton. Taylor Jordan made it back-to-back doubles to push the score to 7-0. Raegan Pritchett’s single drove in Jordan and Mary Kendall Glass scored on a Flowers groundout for the 9-0 advantage. Katey Glass then doubled home Natalee Newton and Moore for the 11-0 lead. Wilkinson stroked a two-run homer in the third to set the final score.

WILCOX 6, MARENGO 2

The Lady Longhorns proved unable to solve Wilcox in the championship round, falling 6-2 despite having won all four regular season meetings between the squads.

Marengo struck first in the season’s final game as Jordan singled in Wilkinson in the top of the first. Wilcox plated two in the home half of the inning to take back the lead. Wilkinson’s sacrifice fly in the third drove in Sheffield to tie the game 2-2. Wilcox went on to score four unanswered to seal the state championship.

All Tournament Team honors went to Sheffield, Wilkinson and Flowers.