{"id":15105,"date":"2024-04-21T08:15:52","date_gmt":"2024-04-21T12:15:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wzbd.com\/?p=15105"},"modified":"2024-04-21T08:15:53","modified_gmt":"2024-04-21T12:15:53","slug":"braves-reach-final-at-kokomo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wzbd.com\/index.php\/2024\/04\/21\/braves-reach-final-at-kokomo\/","title":{"rendered":"Braves reach final at Kokomo"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>RANDY HISNER<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>WZBD.com<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Just like in a pop music countdown show, the hits kept coming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The first five and seven of the first eight Bellmont batters pounded out hits in the top of the first inning in the Braves\u2019 matchup with the host Kokomo Wildkats Saturday morning in the Kokomo Softball Tournament.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"458\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wzbd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/IMG_2401.jpg?resize=640%2C458&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15051\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wzbd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/IMG_2401.jpg?resize=1024%2C733&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wzbd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/IMG_2401.jpg?resize=300%2C215&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wzbd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/IMG_2401.jpg?resize=768%2C550&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wzbd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/IMG_2401.jpg?w=1056&amp;ssl=1 1056w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The result was a 4-0 Bellmont lead before the \u2018Kats (5-4) knew what hit them. The Braves (6-1) went on to score four more runs while giving up just a pair of unearned runs to notch an 8-2 victory and a berth in the championship game Saturday evening against the 4A eighth-ranked South Bend St. Joe Huskies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vanwertcinemas.com\/\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"233\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wzbd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Apr-20.jpg?resize=640%2C233&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15054\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wzbd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Apr-20.jpg?resize=1024%2C373&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wzbd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Apr-20.jpg?resize=300%2C109&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wzbd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Apr-20.jpg?resize=768%2C280&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wzbd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Apr-20.jpg?w=1099&amp;ssl=1 1099w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Leadoff hitter Emily Bleke started the hit parade with a double to right center. The next four Bellmont hitters\u2014Sami Christen, MaryKate Schuemann, Taylor Bauer, and Mackenzie Mankey\u2014all lashed singles, giving the Braves a 3-0 lead. (The Wildkats did get one out during the streak when catcher Jordan Thatcher threw out Christen on an attempted steal.) Pitcher Bella Ashley followed with a fly out to left field, but Liz Bobay and Ella Franze restarted the rally with back-to-back singles to produce another run before Kokomo starter Amirah Marciniak struck out Aaliyah Faurote to end the inning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/wzbd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/2024-04-20T160545Z.mp3\"><\/audio><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Bellmont head coach Mindy Buuck spoke with the Z Team after her team won in the semifinals Saturday in Kokomo.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Freshman Bella Ashley pitched a gem for the victory. She went the distance, yielding only four hits and three walks while striking out three and giving up no earned runs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cShe\u2019s been doing a really good job out there,\u201d Bellmont coach Mindy Buuck said of Ashley. \u201cIt\u2019s fun to see her out there just being confident. She doesn\u2019t seem like a freshman when she\u2019s on the mound. It\u2019s good to see her know that she just has to get it over the plate, and the defense will back her up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Braves\u2019 defense did commit three errors, but Ashley\u2019s helpers also made several excellent plays on the artificial turf field in the state-of-the-art Kokomo stadium, including a double play in the second inning. With one out and Kokomo\u2019s Kinley Martin on first, Bellmont shortstop Aaliyah Faurote ranged to her left to snare Lucy Goad\u2019s sharp grounder up the middle, stepped on second to retire Martin, and fired to first to get Goad, ending the inning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"829\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wzbd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Prestress_Logo_darkbackground.jpg?resize=640%2C829&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-14847\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wzbd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Prestress_Logo_darkbackground-scaled.jpg?resize=791%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 791w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wzbd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Prestress_Logo_darkbackground-scaled.jpg?resize=232%2C300&amp;ssl=1 232w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wzbd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Prestress_Logo_darkbackground-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C994&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wzbd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Prestress_Logo_darkbackground-scaled.jpg?resize=1187%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 1187w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wzbd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Prestress_Logo_darkbackground-scaled.jpg?resize=1583%2C2048&amp;ssl=1 1583w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wzbd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Prestress_Logo_darkbackground-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C1325&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wzbd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Prestress_Logo_darkbackground-scaled.jpg?w=1978&amp;ssl=1 1978w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wzbd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Prestress_Logo_darkbackground-scaled.jpg?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wzbd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Prestress_Logo_darkbackground-scaled.jpg?w=1920&amp;ssl=1 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The Braves made it 5-0 in the third on Franze\u2019s second hit of the game, a single to right field that drove in Ashley, who had drilled a single down the left field line. Bellmont\u2019s sixth run came when singles by Bleke and Christner set up a first-and-third situation, followed by a double steal that plated Bleke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A quartet of pinch hitters expanded the lead to 8-0 in the fifth. Finnley Godsey reached on a dropped third strike to start the inning. Brynlee Straub followed with a single, and Godsey scored when the Kokomo infield botched Carissa Mickley\u2019s potential double-play grounder. Sophia Cole then hit a sacrifice fly to left to drive in Straub.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"493\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wzbd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/J.Ruble-Logo.jpg?resize=640%2C493&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-14848\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wzbd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/J.Ruble-Logo-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C788&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wzbd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/J.Ruble-Logo-scaled.jpg?resize=300%2C231&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wzbd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/J.Ruble-Logo-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C591&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wzbd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/J.Ruble-Logo-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1183&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wzbd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/J.Ruble-Logo-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1577&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wzbd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/J.Ruble-Logo-scaled.jpg?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wzbd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/J.Ruble-Logo-scaled.jpg?w=1920&amp;ssl=1 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Kokomo\u2019s two runs came in the fifth, on a walk to Goad, Dani Tate\u2019s sacrifice bunt, an infield hit by Marciniak, and Faurote\u2019s errant throw to first on Taylor Reed\u2019s grounder. Ashley allowed only one baserunner the rest of the way, and even that was on an error.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bleke, Franze, Bobay, and Christen all had two hits for the Braves. Mankey and Franze each drove in a pair of runs.&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>RANDY HISNER WZBD.com Just like in a pop music countdown show, the hits kept coming. The first five<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[13,15,40,26],"class_list":["post-15105","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sports","tag-bellmont","tag-featured","tag-softball","tag-sports"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wzbd.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15105","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wzbd.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wzbd.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wzbd.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wzbd.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15105"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wzbd.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15105\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wzbd.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15105"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wzbd.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15105"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wzbd.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15105"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}