Two hits was all the Bellmont Braves with freshman Adi Radecki throwing the way she was. The freshman struck out 13 batters and her teammates seized on one key mistake by the Heritage defense in the fourth inning to advance to the sectional semifinal with a 2-0 win at Mississinewa on Memorial Day.
Radecki issued just one walk and stranded all six runners in the game for a complete game victory for the Braves.
The winning rally was an unfortunate one for Heritage starter Adi Bacon, who pitched exceptionally well but was saddled with the loss.
Bacon took a perfect game into the fourth inning, but plunked Oni Krueckeberg, the Braves’ leadoff hitter, to start the fateful rally. Isabelle Mickley bunted Krueckeberg into scoring position and Lynneah Whitacre made a great play on a line drive for the second out. Bacon then walked Liz Bobay, missing on a full-count pitch.
Both runs in the game scored on a ball that should have been the final out of the inning, but an infield error cost the Patriots a pair of runs and despite still carrying the no-hitter into the fifth, Bacon trailed 2-0.
Radecki struck out two of the next three batters with momentum in hand and Krueckeberg broke up the no-hitter in the bottom of the fifth with a two-out single.
Heritage’s best chance to equalize came in the top of the sixth when Hadlee Shipp led off the inning with a hit. Radecki got a key strikeout, but Teaghan O’Shaughnessey singled to right to put runners on the corner, but that’s where they stayed as Radecki got a pop up and a strikeout.
The only other Bellmont hit, a double by Izzy Isch, was erased on a ground ball double play in the sixth.
Radecki set the final three batters in order to end the Heritage season and likely sending the Braves to the championship game. They’ll play a Marion team that has not been competitive in recent years in the postseason on Wednesday.
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