Horne’s hit lifts Northwest over LaFayette in region tournament

Published 8:00 pm Monday, October 2, 2017

Three of the first four times the Lady Bruins came to bat, the inning ended with a strikeout with a runner in scoring position. Finally, in the fifth inning, Northwest got the clutch hits it needed to score a 2-1 win in the Region 6-4A tournament game at Heritage Point Park.

Trailing 1-0 with two outs in the fifth, Jolene Gale drew a walk. KayLeigh Fitzgerald followed by sending a fly ball to right which the LaFayette outfielder couldn’t grab for an error that scored Gale. With the score tied, Sydney Horne ripped a single that brought home the go-ahead run.

The Lady Bruins shut down LaFayette over the last two innings to hold on for the win.

Anna Grace Rann started in the circle. She threw 5 2/3 innings, allowing one run on four hits. Cara Rann came in with two on and one out in the top of the sixth and induced a groundout, then got a strikeout to end LaFayette’s threat.

She threw a perfect seventh inning to close out the game.

The win clinches a state playoff spot for Northwest (24-2). The Lady Bruins Heritage at 7 tonight at Heritage Point Park in a winner’s bracket game (which is the semifinals).