BELMONT — Juda-Albany sophomore Emerson Johnson’ clutch two-out, two-run single in the top of the sixth inning proved to be the difference in a WIAA Division 5 regional final May 23, as the 4-seed Panthers upset top-seed Belmont 2-1.
The Six Rivers West champion Braves (18-5) scored their lone run in the bottom of the first when senior Bailey Mester led off the inning with a single to center field, stole second and later scored on sophomore Addison McNett’s RBI single
From there, the next five innings became a pitchers’ duel between Juda-Albany senior Avary Briggs and Belmont junior Kalli Jo Hodgson.
Briggs allowed just five hits the final six innings to hold the Braves scoreless, while striking out four.
Hodgson (14-4) was equally as dominant until the sixth inning, holding the Panthers (15-10) to just two base runners in the first five innings, before Juda-Albany finally broke through in the sixth.
Panthers’ No. 9 hitter Lavinia Rufer drew a leadoff walk, and Avary Briggs belted a line drive double to left field.
Hodgson nearly worked out of the jam when Mester made a spectacular diving catch in foul territory on a pop up by Anna Ellinger, and Alana Durtschi struck out for the second out.
Belmont coach Jeff Hodgson quickly elected to walk Juda-Albany clean-up hitter senior Myah Johnson to load the bases against Emerson Briggs.
But the younger Briggs was up to the moment, and grounded a 2-2 pitch back through the box to drive home Rufer and courtesy runner Reegan Schmidt for a 2-1 lead.
Belmont rallied in the bottom of the sixth with back-to-back one-out singles by freshman Carsyn Ramaker and McNett, but senior Reese Runde hit an infield fly to shortstop for the second out, and the Panthers got out of the jam unscathed when junior Kaci Riechers grounded out to third base to end the threat.
Freshman Claire Runde lined a two-out single in the bottom of the seventh to bring the potential winning run to the plate, but Briggs struck out Belmont senior Molly Puls for the final out of the game.
Avary Briggs struck out nine in a three-hit shutout and aided her own cause with a 2-for-3 day at the plate with a double, an RBI, a run scored and a stolen base. Alana Durtschi went 3-for-3 with a pair of RBI, and Thursday’s hero Emerson Briggs went 2-for-4 with an RBI.
The win avenged a 7-4 loss to Belmont back on April 11 and last year’s regional final, where the Braves eliminated the Panthers with a 9-3 victory. Six Rivers East runner-up Juda-Albany advanced to face 2-seed and SRE champion Barneveld (16-4) in a D5 sectional semifinal May 28. The Eagles swept the Panthers during the regular season 4-3, 12-4.
