DARLINGTON - A bang-bang play at first base drew boos from the crowd and heartbreak from the Darlington dugout. The one-win Redbirds had stormed back from a 7-3 deficit in the last inning and were an eyeblink away from tying the SWAL-leading Pointers.
Instead, with bases loaded and two outs, Gabby Steiner was called out at first base after appearing to beat out the throw on a grounder, ending the game at 7-6.
"If that (game) doesn't show them that we can play with anyone in the conference then I don't know what will," Darlington head coach Molly Rice said of her players. "We're a very young team and it's been a season full of adversity. And that ending was adversity."
In a game already promoted as a "Miracle Minute" event, the Redbirds nearly completed a miracle comeback. Mineral Point (11-4, 10-1) added two insurance runs in the top of the seventh inning thanks to a pair of Darlington errors to make it 7-3 going into the final frame. Two of Mineral Point's runs were unearned.
With the Redbirds (1-14, 1-9) sending their 8-9-1 batters to the plate in the seventh, a win was even further away on the horizon. Alyssa Tuescher was retired right away, but No. 9 hitter Kennedy Wagner singled up the middle to add life to the dugout. Bethany McDonald and Chelsie Golackson each followed with a single, and then Holly Ray walked in a run. Lucy Heinberg then struck out to bring the Redbirds to their final out.
With the score 7-4, Brittney Jacobson hit an RBI single to left field, and the very next batter, Taylor Crist, hit a bouncer back up the middle that Mineral Point pitcher Dana Schmitz fumbled, which allowed all runners to safely advance, making it 7-6.
"It's always really nerve-wracking when you get up to bat and there are two outs and your team is counting on you," Crist said. "But it feels really great when you get that hit and get on base."
Mineral Point coach Quinn Schultz then replaced Schmitz with Lauren James, who threw a one-hitter against Darlington on Tuesday.
On the first pitch she saw, Steiner hit a ball that the second baseman fumbled before flipping to first. Though it appeared that Steiner had beaten the throw, the field umpire standing near shortstop emphatically pumped his fist for an out, ending the game.
"No matter our record, we give it our all," Crist said.
Just two innings earlier Darlington scored three runs to make it 4-3. That inning also ended with bases loaded.
"They've been having better at bats the last couple of games, so I knew they were bound to have a game like this. It was bound to come together," Rice said.
Mineral Point took a 1-0 lead in the first, and tacked on three more in the fourth, which forced Rice to make a mound visit. Darlington has had a knack all year for allowing a big inning each game where the opposing team scores enough runs to put the game out of reach.
"Giving up one big inning has been an issue this season. When I go out there when we're having a tough inning, I say, 'Let's lock it down right now.' Two, three runs - that's our top. We don't want to give up much more than that," Rice said.
McDonald, Golackson and Wagner all finished 2-for-3 at the plate for the Redbirds. Ray had three RBIs. On the mound, Alyssa Tuescher waded in troubled water throughout the game, finishing with seven runs (five earned) on nine hits, six walks and a hit batter while striking out just one. Schmitz struck out seven and walked two but gave up 10 hits for Mineral Point.
Despite the loss, the game was already serving a secondary purpose: A Miracle Minute was held before the top of the fourth inning to raise money for the family of Crist, whose father was recently diagnosed with cancer. The effort raised $937.
"I think this community - I've seen it many times and I'm new to the community - but they do a great job giving back. They are great people before sports," Rice said. "They care more about the people, which is great to see in a community."
Crist said even when she tries to shut off her brain from her father's struggle on the diamond, she still thinks about it.
"I still always have it in my mind. There's not a day that I don't think about it," Crist said before adding what her teammates mean to her. "I'm so grateful for my team and everyone on it."
The Redbirds hit the field right away again today, playing in a nonconference game against Black Hawk.
Instead, with bases loaded and two outs, Gabby Steiner was called out at first base after appearing to beat out the throw on a grounder, ending the game at 7-6.
"If that (game) doesn't show them that we can play with anyone in the conference then I don't know what will," Darlington head coach Molly Rice said of her players. "We're a very young team and it's been a season full of adversity. And that ending was adversity."
In a game already promoted as a "Miracle Minute" event, the Redbirds nearly completed a miracle comeback. Mineral Point (11-4, 10-1) added two insurance runs in the top of the seventh inning thanks to a pair of Darlington errors to make it 7-3 going into the final frame. Two of Mineral Point's runs were unearned.
With the Redbirds (1-14, 1-9) sending their 8-9-1 batters to the plate in the seventh, a win was even further away on the horizon. Alyssa Tuescher was retired right away, but No. 9 hitter Kennedy Wagner singled up the middle to add life to the dugout. Bethany McDonald and Chelsie Golackson each followed with a single, and then Holly Ray walked in a run. Lucy Heinberg then struck out to bring the Redbirds to their final out.
With the score 7-4, Brittney Jacobson hit an RBI single to left field, and the very next batter, Taylor Crist, hit a bouncer back up the middle that Mineral Point pitcher Dana Schmitz fumbled, which allowed all runners to safely advance, making it 7-6.
"It's always really nerve-wracking when you get up to bat and there are two outs and your team is counting on you," Crist said. "But it feels really great when you get that hit and get on base."
Mineral Point coach Quinn Schultz then replaced Schmitz with Lauren James, who threw a one-hitter against Darlington on Tuesday.
On the first pitch she saw, Steiner hit a ball that the second baseman fumbled before flipping to first. Though it appeared that Steiner had beaten the throw, the field umpire standing near shortstop emphatically pumped his fist for an out, ending the game.
"No matter our record, we give it our all," Crist said.
Just two innings earlier Darlington scored three runs to make it 4-3. That inning also ended with bases loaded.
"They've been having better at bats the last couple of games, so I knew they were bound to have a game like this. It was bound to come together," Rice said.
Mineral Point took a 1-0 lead in the first, and tacked on three more in the fourth, which forced Rice to make a mound visit. Darlington has had a knack all year for allowing a big inning each game where the opposing team scores enough runs to put the game out of reach.
"Giving up one big inning has been an issue this season. When I go out there when we're having a tough inning, I say, 'Let's lock it down right now.' Two, three runs - that's our top. We don't want to give up much more than that," Rice said.
McDonald, Golackson and Wagner all finished 2-for-3 at the plate for the Redbirds. Ray had three RBIs. On the mound, Alyssa Tuescher waded in troubled water throughout the game, finishing with seven runs (five earned) on nine hits, six walks and a hit batter while striking out just one. Schmitz struck out seven and walked two but gave up 10 hits for Mineral Point.
Despite the loss, the game was already serving a secondary purpose: A Miracle Minute was held before the top of the fourth inning to raise money for the family of Crist, whose father was recently diagnosed with cancer. The effort raised $937.
"I think this community - I've seen it many times and I'm new to the community - but they do a great job giving back. They are great people before sports," Rice said. "They care more about the people, which is great to see in a community."
Crist said even when she tries to shut off her brain from her father's struggle on the diamond, she still thinks about it.
"I still always have it in my mind. There's not a day that I don't think about it," Crist said before adding what her teammates mean to her. "I'm so grateful for my team and everyone on it."
The Redbirds hit the field right away again today, playing in a nonconference game against Black Hawk.
