ORANGEVILLE - Juda senior Hailey Kammerer has been waiting for a chance to celebrate her first home run of the season.
Kammerer came through in the clutch with a solo shot in the sixth inning in what proved to be the game-winning run as Juda-Albany came back to beat Orangeville 3-2 in a nonconference showdown Friday.
"It felt amazing," Kammerer said. "It was a goal of mine this year. It felt good to get that home run."
Kammerer went 3-for-3 with a home run, two RBIs, two runs scored and two doubles. She helped Juda-Albany, the defending WIAA Division 4 state champions, overcome a 1-0 deficit. Fellow senior Sammi Detra went 2-for-3 with one RBI for the Panthers.
"I think once one or two people starting hitting off of her (Orangeville's Hannah Holland) it got the whole team going," Kammerer said. "Some key plays here and there and that made us feel like we were playing as a team. That is the kind of momentum we need as a team going into the playoffs playing teams like that."
Early on, the game had all the makings of a pitchers' duel. The Panthers (7-1, 6-0 Six Rivers East) got off to an inauspicious start in the field as Orangeville lead off hitter Kenzie Riemer struck out but reached on a dropped third strike. She then stole second and third. Holland later delivered a two-out RBI single to right that gave the Broncos a 1-0 lead. It stayed that way until the fourth.
Juda-Albany senior Nicki Becker led off the fourth with a single to right. Junior teammate Kirsten Oliver moved pinch runner Brianna Crull into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt. Kammerer then smoked a game-tying RBI double to left to tie the game at 1. Detra then came through with a two-out RBI single down the first base line to give the Panthers a 2-1 lead.
"You are trying to get ready for the playoffs," Juda-Albany coach Bill Davis said. "It's nice to play a good team and get yourself prepared and find out where you are at. They played a good game and they are a good team. That's why you set up games like this."
Kammerer crushed a solo home run to center in the sixth to give the Panthers a 3-1 lead. Kammerer is hitting over .600 this season and Davis is not surprised by her success.
"Hailey has been on all year," Davis said. "She hit one off the fence the other night. There's not a doubt she can do it. It was just a clutch performance. Throughout her career she has been clutch for us."
The Broncos had a golden opportunity loading the bases with no outs in the bottom of the sixth. However, Becker pitched out of the jam and gave up just one run. Mckayla Reimer led off the inning with a single and scored on Tori Plowman's double play lineout to Juda-Albany senior second baseman Kassi Heins.
Holland went 2-for-3 with one RBI at the plate to lead the Broncos. Orangeville was 2-for-12 hitting with runners in scoring position and left six on base.
Becker pitched a complete game to get the win. She gave up two runs (one earned) on four hits, while striking out 10 and walking three.
"She's pretty stellar on the mound making her pitches and hitting her spots," Davis said of Becker who was an all-state pitcher last year. "She keeps her composure pretty well. I'm really proud of her."
The Broncos didn't go away quietly down one-run in the bottom of the seventh. Orangeville's Kirsten Frautschy singled leading off the seventh. Becker struck out Emily George and Davis had Becker intentionally walk Kenzie Reimer, who finished with three stolen bases. Davis then brought in Kammerer from centerfield into the infield to the right of second base as an extra infielder. Mckayla Reimer hit a grounder to Juda-Albany shortstop Lydia Bouc, who stepped on third base to end the game.
"We are trying to get them to hit into our power area, throw them outside and bring that infielder in especially with that runner on second base," Davis said. "Now you have the force at third. It's something we worked on quite a bit. We have Johnson Creek in our regional and they have some slappers. It's something we wanted to work on."
Kammerer came through in the clutch with a solo shot in the sixth inning in what proved to be the game-winning run as Juda-Albany came back to beat Orangeville 3-2 in a nonconference showdown Friday.
"It felt amazing," Kammerer said. "It was a goal of mine this year. It felt good to get that home run."
Kammerer went 3-for-3 with a home run, two RBIs, two runs scored and two doubles. She helped Juda-Albany, the defending WIAA Division 4 state champions, overcome a 1-0 deficit. Fellow senior Sammi Detra went 2-for-3 with one RBI for the Panthers.
"I think once one or two people starting hitting off of her (Orangeville's Hannah Holland) it got the whole team going," Kammerer said. "Some key plays here and there and that made us feel like we were playing as a team. That is the kind of momentum we need as a team going into the playoffs playing teams like that."
Early on, the game had all the makings of a pitchers' duel. The Panthers (7-1, 6-0 Six Rivers East) got off to an inauspicious start in the field as Orangeville lead off hitter Kenzie Riemer struck out but reached on a dropped third strike. She then stole second and third. Holland later delivered a two-out RBI single to right that gave the Broncos a 1-0 lead. It stayed that way until the fourth.
Juda-Albany senior Nicki Becker led off the fourth with a single to right. Junior teammate Kirsten Oliver moved pinch runner Brianna Crull into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt. Kammerer then smoked a game-tying RBI double to left to tie the game at 1. Detra then came through with a two-out RBI single down the first base line to give the Panthers a 2-1 lead.
"You are trying to get ready for the playoffs," Juda-Albany coach Bill Davis said. "It's nice to play a good team and get yourself prepared and find out where you are at. They played a good game and they are a good team. That's why you set up games like this."
Kammerer crushed a solo home run to center in the sixth to give the Panthers a 3-1 lead. Kammerer is hitting over .600 this season and Davis is not surprised by her success.
"Hailey has been on all year," Davis said. "She hit one off the fence the other night. There's not a doubt she can do it. It was just a clutch performance. Throughout her career she has been clutch for us."
The Broncos had a golden opportunity loading the bases with no outs in the bottom of the sixth. However, Becker pitched out of the jam and gave up just one run. Mckayla Reimer led off the inning with a single and scored on Tori Plowman's double play lineout to Juda-Albany senior second baseman Kassi Heins.
Holland went 2-for-3 with one RBI at the plate to lead the Broncos. Orangeville was 2-for-12 hitting with runners in scoring position and left six on base.
Becker pitched a complete game to get the win. She gave up two runs (one earned) on four hits, while striking out 10 and walking three.
"She's pretty stellar on the mound making her pitches and hitting her spots," Davis said of Becker who was an all-state pitcher last year. "She keeps her composure pretty well. I'm really proud of her."
The Broncos didn't go away quietly down one-run in the bottom of the seventh. Orangeville's Kirsten Frautschy singled leading off the seventh. Becker struck out Emily George and Davis had Becker intentionally walk Kenzie Reimer, who finished with three stolen bases. Davis then brought in Kammerer from centerfield into the infield to the right of second base as an extra infielder. Mckayla Reimer hit a grounder to Juda-Albany shortstop Lydia Bouc, who stepped on third base to end the game.
"We are trying to get them to hit into our power area, throw them outside and bring that infielder in especially with that runner on second base," Davis said. "Now you have the force at third. It's something we worked on quite a bit. We have Johnson Creek in our regional and they have some slappers. It's something we wanted to work on."
