Tri Softball Team Repeats as Sectional Champion
By DAVID RISLEY [email protected] | Posted: Saturday, May 30, 2015 9:08 am
Sectional Champs Again
David Risley/ C-T photoTri's softball team poses with the sectional trophy after its 4-2 win over Monroe
Central in the championship game of Class A Sectional 56 on Friday evening.
PARKER CITY - The Tri softball team repeated as champion of Class A Sectional 56 Friday evening with a 42 victory over host Monroe Central.
The Titans, now 11-10, host Wes-Del in the regional on Tuesday at a site to be determined. The Golden Bears
ended their season with a 15-13-1 record.
"It feels great to repeat as sectional champs," Tri co-coach Bryan Peggs said. "It was a hard-fought game and
Monroe Central played us tough. We had to work hard for everything we got. Our girls were ready to play and
we got contributions all up and down the lineup."
Tri starting pitcher Abbi Coffman pitched a fine game, going the distance for the win. The junior hurler didn't
allow any runs and just three hits over the first five innings. Coffman's line for the game was seven innings
pitched, two runs, seven hits, no walks, and one strikeout.
"Abbi pitched a great game," said Duke Falck, the Titans' other co-coach. "She was hitting her spots, didn't
walk a single batter, and kept the ball in the field of play where our fielders could make plays behind her. It was
a great game for Abbi and our whole team today."
Titan junior Mackenzie Peggs got her team started on the right foot offensively in the bottom of the first inning.
Peggs hit a towering fly ball over the fence just inside the left field foul pole for a home run to lead off the game
against Monroe Central pitcher Adrianna Hardy for a 1-0 lead.
"I just do what I can to get our team pumped up," Mackenzie Peggs said. "We were pretty pumped up already
coming into this game, and I guess I just added to it. All of us just did our jobs and we're sectional champs
again. We want to go further this year than we did last year, and with everyone back except one, we'll try for a
three-peat next year."
Tri's only senior, Destiny Spera, got the first of her three hits one out later, and Payton Moore had a two-out
single, but both were left standing on the bases.
The Titans had two runners on base in the second after two were out. Bailey Coffman reached on an error and
Peggs singled to left, but Hardy induced the next batter to foul out to the first baseman.
Tri scored its second run in the third inning. Spera singled to left field to open the inning, Kirsten Falck got
Spera to second on a sacrifice bunt, and Spera scored on Kierstyn Conyers' two-out double to right field.
"It's awesome, a great feeling," said Spera after the game. "We knew this would be a tough game today and
would be harder than when we played them (Golden Bears) last year for the title. But we brought our 'A' game
and got the job done."
Peggs recorded her third hit of the game in the fourth inning, a two-out, hard-hit single off the shortstop's glove,
but Hardy got the next batter to ground out.
The Titans doubled their lead in the fifth inning. Spera led off with another single down the third base line.
Falck's ground ball out moved Spera to second, and Moore drove Spera home with a ringing double to right
center field.
With two out, Bayley Prince walked and Jesse Spong followed with a single to left field, plating Moore and
boosting the Tri advantage to 4-0.
"Mackenzie's home run gave our team a lot of confidence," Coach Peggs said. "Payton and Kierstyn got some
big RBI hits, and it was nice to see Destiny get her bat going today with three hits and two runs scored. It takes
an entire team effort to win a sectional championship and that's what we got today. I'm really proud of these
girls right now."
Monroe Central finally got a run off Coffman in the top of the sixth. Abreana Gaddis hit a bloop single to center
to open the inning. One out later, Jocelyn Peckham grounded to third baseman Spera, whose throw got the lead
runner, Gaddis, out at second base.
Abigail McGrath came in to run for Peckham and scored when Mikaela McGrath's single got by the outfielder,
cutting the Titan lead to 4-1.
Tri's Lauren Bouslog got her team's final hit in the last of the sixth inning, but was forced out at second base.
There was a little suspense left in the contest. Coffman struck out the Golden Bears' Wendy Kramer to open the
seventh inning, but a dropped third strike allowed Kramer to reach base. Hardy came in to run for Kramer and
Destiny Cope followed with a single to left field.
Ashleigh Comer's sacrifice bunt moved the two runners into scoring position. With two outs, Gaddis singled to
center to drive in Hardy and cut the Titan lead to 4-2. But Coffman induced the last batter to ground out, giving
the game and the trophy to Tri.
"We know very little about Wes-Del ," Coach Peggs added, "but we'll get to know them better in the next
couple days. We wish we could host the regional on our field, but it's not up to IHSAA standards as a host site.
Our goal is to get a new field at the high school where it will be a fine place to play and host events."