The Crofton Lady Warriors hosted the 12 and Under Softball League tournament on Saturday, June 24th at Crofton Volunteer Fields.
The Lady Warriors competed in three games and eventually earned first place, ousting runner-up Wakefield and third place Osmond.
Hartington finished fourth while Randolph (5th) and Bloomfield (6th) each competed as well.
The tournament started more or less as expected with a weather delay caused by the early morning storm that swept through the local area, knocking down large tree branches, scattering trash cans, and wetting the fields.
Several local volunteers worked throughout the morning to get the fields in condition for the games to begin.
As for the Warriors, they started tournament play with a hard-fought, 5-4 victory over a solid Hartington team, defeated Osmond 9-3, and took down Wakefield 12-2 in the tournament championship.
Against Hartington, the Lady Warriors jumped to a 1-0 lead in the top half of the first inning and a half.
However, in the bottom of the second, Hartington scored their first two runs to tie the game.
The Warriors answered with three runs in the top of the second and held the lead despite giving up two runs in the bottom of the third.
Grace Morrison pitched three innings, giving up four earned runs on two hits with nine strikeouts and a walk.
Her battery mate, Camry Michael, played a great game behind the plate.
Offensively, Morrison (2), Claire Marsh (1), LaCroix (1), and McCoy (1) all scored runs. Each of these girls has a hit as well, including McCoy’s double.
LaCroix, Morrison, and Skylar Sejnoha each had a walk.
The Warriors were aggressive on the base paths as they had eight stolen bases, three of which came from the legs of a LaCroix.
Moving into the semi-final round of the tournament, the Warriors matched up against a talented Osmond team, who had defeated Randolph and Wakefield already in the day.
The Lady Warriors defeated Osmond 9-3. The Warriors took control of the game in their two at-bats, scoring nine runs.
This included five runs in the first and four runs in the second.
Camy Michael pitched a great game, allowing three runs on two hits, seven strikeouts, and three walks.
Offensively, the Warriors had nine runs on six hits. Their base running was aggressive as they had 11 stolen bases.
Morrison and Michael each scored two runs. Marsh, LaCroix, Sejnoha, Lauren Connot, and Maci Kolterman all scored a run.
Marsh, Morrison, Michael, LaCroix, McCoy, and Connot all had a hit. Morrison hit a three-run, inside-the-park home run in the top of the second.
LaCroix and McCoy had an RBI each.
In the tournament’s championship game, the Lady Warriors sealed the tournament championship by defeating Wakefield 12-2.
Michael pitched a great game, giving up zero earned runs in five innings. She allowed three, had ten strikeouts, and had just one walk.
Offensively, the Warriors scored 12 runs, 11 of which came on RBIs. Maci Kolterman (3), Lauren Connot (2), Berkeley Hames (1) and Bella Hetzell (1) kept the runners moving around the bases.
Marsh, Michael, Lacroix, and McCoy each had a hit, too. McCoy walked twice while LaCroix walked as well.
Morrison and Michael each had two hits. Sejnoha and Connot each had a double. Lacroix added a hit as well.
Scooting around the bases, the Warriors had ten stolen bases.
The Warriors will finish up their season at the USA Softball of Nebraska Class C State tournament beginning on Friday, June 30th against Pender.
Lady Warriors compete at home vs. Randolph
The Crofton Lady Warriors 12 and under team scored five runs in the first three innings and allowed just one run against Randolph in a 15-1 contest on June 20 in Crofton.
Camry Michael, Ella LaCroix, and Grace Morrison each had three hits while Claire Marsh (2), Brielle McCoy (1), and Skylar Sejnoha (1) hit the ball well also.
LaCroix had two triples, Micheal had two doubles, and Morrison had one of each.
LaCroix knocked in two runs, while McCoy, Michael, and Sejnoha each had an RBI.
Avery Arens and Berkley Hames both walked. Arens scored two runs while Hames added another.
Morrison and Michael scored three runs while LaCroix and Marsh scored two runs a piece. Sejnoha and McCoy each scored as well.
Warriors hit the road to face Ponca
The Crofton Lady Warriors 12 and under team dropped a close game on the road to Ponca on Thursday, June 22, losing 7-6 in a game that tested the team in various ways.
The game was important to the team because the girls faced good pitching, difficult situations, and learned from their mistakes.
The Warriors jumped to a 5-0 lead in the top of the first inning as their first five hitters (Grace Morrison, Brielle McCoy, Camry Michael, Ella LaCroix, and Claire Marsh) all scored a run.
Ponca then scored a run in the bottom half of the inning to make the game 5-1.
Maci Kolterman added to the Warriors’ lead in the top of the second as she walked and came into score.
Headed into the bottom of the second with a 6-1 lead. Camry Michael, the team’s starting pitcher, limited Ponca to just one run in the second.
She pitched well and got some help from her teammates. Morrison (c) and LaCroix (1B) connected on a backpick that froze a runner and led to LaCroix’s chasing her down for the out.
Then, with a runner on third who was delaying between third and home, McCoy (3B) and Morrison played made two quick throws and a tag to get the runner.
The Warriors got no runs in the third, but found themselves in harm’s way as Ponca scored three runs in the bottom of the inning.
With the game-tying and game-winning runs not only base but also in scoring position the Warrior defense stayed calm and worked out of the bases-loaded, one-out jam to preserve the 6-5 lead.
This was beautiful considering that similar situations have caused the Warriors to get anxious earlier in the season.
However, they handled it with grace and shut down their opponents as the timer expired.
In the end, both teams decided to play one more inning and the Warriors gave up two runs to relinquish the lead.
Overall, the Warriors reached base. Morrison (2B), Michael, LaCroix, and Marsh all got hits. LaCroix and Marsh had an RBI a piece.
Bella Hetzell had two good at-bats, earning two walks. Morrison, McCoy, Michael, and Koltermen each had walks, too.
Camry Michael