RANDY HISNER
WZBD.com
MaryKate Scheumann pitched a six-hitter and collected four hits, including a solo home run, to lead the Bellmont Braves to an 8-5 win over the Franklin County Wildcats Friday in the first round of the Kokomo Softball Tournament.
After five and a half innings, Scheumann was cruising along with a one-hitter, and the Braves had scored in every inning except the fourth to build a 6-1 lead. It looked like smooth sailing.
Then Franklin County (7-2) made waves.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Wildcats’ offense woke up and scored four runs on five hits and a sacrifice fly to make it a one-run game at 6-5.
The big blow was Brooke Stang’s three-run homer over the center field fence. Addyson Bischoff (single) and Tiffany Billman (walk) were aboard. The inning could have been worse for the Braves if not for a stellar defensive play by freshman Bella Ashley. The Wildcats’ Isabella Stenger had led off the inning with a single to left, but Ashley threw her out when she tried to stretch it into a double.
“Looking through their stats and who they had played so far, we knew they were going to bring it with the bats, so that wasn’t much of a surprise,” said Bellmont coach Mindy Buuck of the Wildcats’ rally. “It was just a matter of settling everybody down and getting back at it.”
Settle down they did. The Braves (5-1) responded quickly to the Wildcats’ comeback effort. In the top of the seventh, Ashley led off with a single, advanced to third on Liz Bobay’s hit to left, and scored on a wild pitch. Bobay later scored on Aaliyah Faurote’s sacrifice fly, giving the Braves a more comfortable 8-5 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh.
Scheumann shook off her nearly disastrous sixth inning and retired the Wildcats in order in the final frame to clinch the win. She ended with four strikeouts and five walks.
The Braves scored the first run of the game when Brynlee Straub, courtesy running for Scheumann, scored on an infield error with two out in the first inning. Scheumann had reached base on a ground-ball single up the middle.
Bellmont added two runs in the second, on a single by Bobay, a walk to Faurote, and an error by the Franklin County second baseman on Emily Bleke’s hard grounder.
Scheumann made it 4-0 with her lead-off homer to right center in the third inning.
After the Wildcats had scored a run in the third on Kensee Ferman’s single, a fielder’s choice, and a Bellmont error, the Braves expanded their lead with RBI singles by Bobay in the fifth and pinch hitter Carissa Mickley in the sixth.
Mickley was hitting for Bellmont clean-up hitter Taylor Bauer, an unusual move that paid off for the Braves and Buuck. “Our bench is actually really deep this year,” she said. “It’s great to see them step in and do big things when they get the opportunity. It’s great to see Taylor in the dugout supporting her 100%, cheering her (Mickley) on. I knew she could do it. I knew if I put her in there she was going to execute.”
Bellmont had 14 hits, 10 of them off Franklin County starter Bella Lee, who took the loss. She struck out two and walked two in five innings.
Bobay had three hits for the Braves, Bleke two.
Bellmont will play host Kokomo Saturday morning at 10:00 in the semifinals of the eight-team tournament. Kokomo (6-3) defeated previously unbeaten South Bend Riley, 11-4.
The game will be on the main field, a beautiful multimillion-dollar stadium on the Kokomo High School campus.
If the Braves win, they will return to the stadium for the championship game at 4:00. If they lose, they will play for third place, also at 4:00, on Field #2, adjacent to the stadium.