Adams Central turned an early deficit into a mercy-rule victory on Memorial Day, beating Whitko 15-5 to advance in the 2A softball sectional hosted in Monroe.
Both teams sat and watched the opening game of the tournament in anticipation, with Bluffton advancing in a very close 2-0 game over Bishop Luers. That game featured just four hits in total.
The second holiday game looked like it could be following the same route, with Whitko using leadoff hitter Meredith Hindbaugh to get out to an early 3-0 lead. The shortstop reached base and scored in her first two at-bats.
Adams Central got on the scoreboard in the top of the fifth (playing as the visiting team despite hosting the game) with a timely hit by Londin Nussbaum and a pair of two-run singles by Andrea Isch and Baylee Smith, giving the Jets a 4-3 lead.
Hindbaugh led off for Whitko in the bottom of the inning, though, and reached base again and started a rally, taking the lead back from the Jets with two runs. Adams Central traded a run for an out on a ball hit to the right side, which turned out to be a great decision after Whitko loaded the bases with two outs. AC starter Adi Jordan got her team out of the jam with a backwards K, striking out Breawynn Noer looking to send the game to the sixth.
The Jets knocked Whitko starter Lilly Irons out of the game after she allowed the first six batters to reach in the top of the sixth. All six eventually scored in the inning and reliever Emma Gavin faced four batters and got no outs. She was replaced by a third pitcher of the inning, Reagan Klepinger, who allowed all inherited runners to score as the Jets batted around. Londin Nussbaum had a two-run single that pushed the game to the brink of only going six innings.
By the time Klepinger found a groove and retired the last three batters, the Jets had already built a ten-run lead. Jordan set the next three batters down in order and the nail-biting game was quickly a blowout victory for the hosts.
Adams Central will face Woodlan on Wednesday in the second semifinal.
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