It was all East Noble Monday night as the Bellmont Braves looked well on their way to ending their four-game winning streak on the long trip up to Kendallville to play the Knights.
The home team scored in the first and third innings, taking a 2-0 lead into the sixth inning against Bellmont’s ace, Bella Ashley.
The Braves did have seven hits in those first five innings against East Noble’s Abby Alwine, but three of those came in the very first inning and did not produce a run, with Alwine getting the second and third outs in the first via strikeout. They left the bases loaded again in the third, with East Noble turning a double play on a fly ball, gunning down a runner at the plate to keep their 2-0 lead.
Three hits in a row (for the third time in the game) finally produce a run, though, in the sixth. Aaliyah Faurote put one into the grass in center ahead of Emily Bleke, who collected her second hit of the night. That set up Finnley Godsey to single home Faurote and get the Braves on the board.
After Ashley made quick work of the Knights in the bottom of the sixth, it looked like East Noble were going to wrap up the victory, getting two quick outs in the Braves’ last at-bat.
Taylor Sutter, however, fouled off a couple of pitches and worked a two-out walk and Carissa Mickley extended the game with a single. That brough up Faurote, who hit a ground ball to short that should have ended the game. Instead, she reached on a throwing error and Sutter scored to tie the game.
Six pitches later, Bleke got her third hit of the night and the Braves led for the first time.
Ashley struck out the last two batters of the game for a 1-2-3 inning and ensured that the Braves would finish tied for third in the conference with Norwell. Columbia City and Leo will play for the NE8 title this week and Bellmont will face Norwell in the sectional opener.
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