Lady Longhorns see state title streak end with loss to Edgewood
MONTGOMERY — Marengo Academy (23-7) saw its run of four consecutive state softball championships come to an end Saturday with a 6-3 title round loss to Edgewood.
“Very tough. We came in with the attitude that we were going to win,” Marengo head coach Danny Stenz said. “I was fully expecting that we were going to win, win the fifth one. Everything comes to an end at some point. It doesn’t last forever, as much as would have liked it to. It doesn’t last forever. You have to give Edgewood credit. That’s a good bunch. They’ve got a good bunch of ballplayers. They’re coached well.”
The Wildcats opened the scoring in the first inning when Hannahlee Harris reached on an error and scored on another error. Kara Wilson singled and then scored on a RBI grounder off the bat of Kelsey Hartley to put Edgewood up 2-0.
Emilee Ellis reached on an infield single in the second and scored on a Harris RBI single to put Edgewood up 3-0.
The Wildcats took their largest lead of the afternoon in the third when Christina Bush came on to run following a Hartley double and then scored on a Katrina Harden RBI single. Harden then scored on a passed ball to put Edgewood up 5-0.
The Lady Longhorns showed their first signs of life in the fourth when Macey Petrey scored when Kimberly Moore took a bases-loaded bean ball to cut the deficit to 5-1.
The fifth inning saw Andrea Edmonds reach on a fielder’s choice and then find her way home on a Brooke Smyly triple. Smyly then scored on a throwing error to cut the Edgewood advantage to 5-3.
Harden responded quickly in the home half of the fifth when she stroked a solo homer to put Edgewood up 6-3 with the final run of the contest.
In total, Marengo left 11 runners on base and committed five errors in the contest, which stood as its sixth game in two days.
“I think a lot of it was fatigue, playing two seven-inning games before we got here,” Stenz said. “They were tired. (Edgewood) had energy and we didn’t.”
Edmonds threw six complete games, working 41 innings over the two-day stretch, even refusing to exit the contest in the fifth inning when asked by her coach.
“I think anybody, to be honest with you, in this association could have done what Andrea did this weekend,” Stenz said. “(Assistant coaches) kept asking if we needed to pull her, but she said she was good. She’s just kind of bionic I reckon. She just wouldn’t let me pull her, so I left it up to her. I don’t think anyone else could have pitched 41 innings in two days. I might be stupid for leaving her out there for that long. She’s just a bulldog. She’s a competitor. She’s a bulldog. She wants to be there. She wants the ball in her hand. That’s what we went with. Andrea is tough.”
The Lady Longhorns saw Edmonds, Anna Michael Crocker and Chandler Stenz each make the All-Tournament team.
The loss ends the Lady Longhorns’ streak of consecutive state titles, but the title round appearance makes seven consecutive years MA has been in the championship round.