The Bluffton Lady Pirate softball team brought home a sectional title Thursday, with a 9-5 win, in a tough battle with the Leipsic Vikings at Pandora-Gilboa. The Pirates earned just four hits, but were able to capitalize on 9 walks and 3 hit batters by the Vikings pitcher.
The Lady Pirates struck first, as Shannon McKamey was walked and Ashlin Gable was hit by a pitch. The pair advanced around the bases and scored on passed balls to take a 2-0 lead after the first inning.
The Vikings charged in the second inning with a walk and a base hit. Katie Palte fielded the next hit at short stop and picked off the lead runner at third with a quick shuffle pass to Adrian Rumer.
The two would get the next out on a repeat play to hold up the Vikings. Leipsic battled back with a hard line drive to pitcher Kayla Longworth. Longworth couldn't secure the ball and Palte's throw to first went wide allowing the Vikings to score. Leipsic drove in another run on a single to tie the game at 2-2.
The Vikings took the lead, 3-2 in the third inning and kept the Pirate bats silent through the fifth inning.
Opportunity was all the Pirates needed and they got plenty of it in the bottom of the sixth inning, as they plundered the Viking defense.
Rumer and Palte picked up walks for the ladies and Lexi Luginbihl was hit by a pitch to load the bases for the Pirates. Longworth helped the Pirate cause with an excellent squeeze bunt to pick up an RBI as Rumer charged across the plate.
Palte also scored on the play, as the Leipsic catcher was unable to secure the throw at home plate. The Pirates continued their raid on the Vikings, with Lexi Luginbihl scoring on a passed ball, and Brianna Laing laying down another squeeze bunt to bring home pinch runner Olivia Hunt.
The Vikings continued to struggle as Shannon McKamey added a single and Laing scored on passed balls. Ashlin Gable drove in McKamey on a fly out to right field. Molly Lengyel was hit by a pitch and Rumer punished the Vikings on her second at bat of the inning with an RBI single.
Mariah Welch ended the inning for the Pirates with a fly out to center field, but the damage had been done as the ladies scored 7 runs to take a 9-3 lead.
The Vikings started off the seventh inning with a base hit, but the Pirates defense continued to hold strong. Palte caught a line drive at short stop and turned the double play to Gable at first, catching the Viking runner off base in what Coach Gilette called a "magical play".
The Vikings were undaunted as they ripped a single, and two RBI doubles to make the score 9-5. McKamey made the last out of the game on a hard fly to center field, her fourth put out of the night, to secure the win for the Lady Pirates.
With the victory, the Pirates advance to district semi-finals at Wapakoneta, where they will face New Bremen next Wednesday at 5 p.m.
Kayla Longworth improved to 11-4 on the season as she struck out three and walked one. The Pirates travel to Arlington Friday to take on the Red Devils in the final game of regular season.
Bluffton stats:
Kayla Longworth: WP (11-4) 3 K's 1 BB, 1/3 RBI
Brianna Laing: 1/3, RBI, 2 put outs
Shannon McKamey: 1/3, 4 put outs
Adrian Rumer: 1/2, RBI, 2 put outs, 2 assists
Katie Palte: 6 assists, 1 put out
Ashlin Gable: 7 put outs
