Steeleville wins first softball regional

Posted May 21, 2016 11:00 pm

By Pete Spitler Staff Writer

GOREVILLE -- It's always fun being the first.

Lexi Middendorf, Sydney Hood and AnnaBeth Batson homered, and Steeleville won its first Class 1A softball regional in program history with a 8-0 win over Goreville on Saturday in the championship of the Blackcats' own regional.

"I think we really came out to play defense today," Hood said. "Our defense was there and our hitting was there also. We practiced all day (Friday) just taking swings, so that really helped I think."

Hood went 2-for-4 at the plate with three RBIs, and scattered four hits while striking out three in the circle. The sophomore right-hander did not walk a batter in recording her second shutout of the postseason.

"I think defense is helping that," Hood said of the back-to-back shutouts. "I give all the credit to my defense."

Hood also helped finish the job in the seventh, getting Alexis Massey and Jacqueline McSpadden to hit grounders right back to her for easy putouts at first base.

She then struck out Holly Link swinging to achieve history.

"(The regional title) means a whole lot because we don't have any seniors," Hood said. "It shows we can play with the best of them."

After two scoreless innings, Steeleville (22-7) broke through with a two-run third inning. Katie Myers led off with a double, followed by a single by Hood.

Myers later scored on a sacrifice fly by Middendorf and a two-out Sydnie Furman single brought the other run home.

"Goreville made some plays the first couple of innings," said Steeleville coach Andy Gerlach. "We put the bat on the ball the whole time and eventually, hits were going to fall.

"Lex hit the first (home run) and I think everybody loosened up then and then everybody was having a great at-bat."

Middendorf's one-out solo blast - her team-leading 10th of the season - in the fifth gave Steeleville a 3-0 lead, but the big breakthrough came in the next inning.

The Lady Warriors scored five runs on five hits against Goreville starter Cheyenne Walker while sending all nine batters to the plate.

"Hitting is contagious on this team too," Gerlach said. "Somebody gets a big hit, it seems like everybody wants to follow too."

Batson's two-run homer, her second of the season, gave Steeleville a 5-0 lead. Three batters later, it was Hood's turn with a three-run bomb - her third homer of the year.

Hood and her defense did the rest.

"I'm ecstatic," Gerlach said of the regional title. "I feel that this team can go farther. We're going to be playing Wednesday and gearing up to that.

"If the girls play softball, we can go far."

The Lady Warriors have been sporting orange bows in their hair during this run as Gerlach's wife, Ali, was recently diagnosed with Myelofibrosis, a bone marrow disease.

"The girls really surprised me at the first regional game (against Elverado) with all the bows, so that was very nice to see that," Andy Gerlach said. "It's a family, and I feel that now."

Steeleville will take on Cobden, a 11-1 winner over Century in Saturday's Shawnee Regional championship, at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday in the semifinals of the Appleknockers' own sectional.

Trico and Pope County will face off in Tuesday's other semifinal, with the winners playing for the sectional championship next Saturday at 11 a.m.

Goreville saw its season end at 16-20.

Steeleville 3, Elverado 0

GOREVILLE -- Sydnie Furman went 1-for-2 with a two-run double, and Steeleville beat Elverado on May 19 in the semifinals of the Class 1A Goreville Regional.

Lexi Middendorf went 2-for-3 with a run scored for the Lady Warriors, who scored two runs in the first and added their third in the sixth.

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