JUDA - Locked in a tie game and down to its final out, the Juda-Albany softball team needed to make a play Friday in a WIAA Division 4 regional championship game against Highland.
Juda-Albany sophomore Nicki Becker hit a ground ball to third base. The wild throw to first sailed into right field, and Riley Adkins scored to give the Panthers a thrilling 2-1 win in a pitchers' duel.
Juda-Albany (22-5) advances to the sectional semifinal to play Southwestern at 5 p.m. Tuesday in Darlington.
"It was awesome," Juda-Albany coach Bill Davis said of winning the regional title in the final at-bat. "I told the girls you went to state last year, and it's tough to do. Winning two regional championships in a row is tough to do. You have to be perfect in the playoffs."
Becker and Highland's Bailee Rose dueled all game. Becker pitched a complete game and gave up just one run on four hits. She struck out 12 and walked two. Rose pitched a complete game and gave up two runs on four hits.
Juda-Albany junior Sara Jordan went 2-for-3.
"Their pitcher (Rose) has been on a really good streak," Davis said. "I had a bad feeling about this game. She had two or three shutouts coming in."
Juda-Albany's Haley Freitag started the two-out rally by reaching on an error. That set the stage for Becker's grounder that turned into the game-winning run.
Now, Juda-Albany will gear up for a rematch against Southwestern. The Panthers defeated Southwestern in the regional final last year.
"It will be a battle," Davis said.
Juda-Albany sophomore Nicki Becker hit a ground ball to third base. The wild throw to first sailed into right field, and Riley Adkins scored to give the Panthers a thrilling 2-1 win in a pitchers' duel.
Juda-Albany (22-5) advances to the sectional semifinal to play Southwestern at 5 p.m. Tuesday in Darlington.
"It was awesome," Juda-Albany coach Bill Davis said of winning the regional title in the final at-bat. "I told the girls you went to state last year, and it's tough to do. Winning two regional championships in a row is tough to do. You have to be perfect in the playoffs."
Becker and Highland's Bailee Rose dueled all game. Becker pitched a complete game and gave up just one run on four hits. She struck out 12 and walked two. Rose pitched a complete game and gave up two runs on four hits.
Juda-Albany junior Sara Jordan went 2-for-3.
"Their pitcher (Rose) has been on a really good streak," Davis said. "I had a bad feeling about this game. She had two or three shutouts coming in."
Juda-Albany's Haley Freitag started the two-out rally by reaching on an error. That set the stage for Becker's grounder that turned into the game-winning run.
Now, Juda-Albany will gear up for a rematch against Southwestern. The Panthers defeated Southwestern in the regional final last year.
"It will be a battle," Davis said.
