There was nothing spectacular about Tuesday's Region 3-A softball semifinal between the Sale Creek Lady Panthers and the Lady Seahawks from Silverdale.
There were no dramatic home runs and not even any bases-loaded doubles. There was certainly no pitching duel. Just a couple of better than average teams battling their way for the chance to play at least two more games before the season ends.
That right goes to visiting Sale Creek, which improved to 18-13 with the 5-4 victory in a game where both teams had 10 hits and both teams left at least one runner stranded in all seven innings except for Sale Creek's second. That was the only time the side was retired in order all day.
Junior right-hander McKenna Morgan wasn't overpowering by any stretch, but she was better than good enough to pick up the win as she scattered those 10 hits while walking four and striking out two. It seemed like she was pitching in a jam the entire game, but she made great pitches when she had to and the defense behind her was flawless.
The only error made by the Lady Panthers was made by Morgan herself and that came in the second inning. Silverdale had already scored its first run on a bases-loaded walk to Madi Hancock. With one out and the bases loaded, Ali Birchfield hit a grounder back to Morgan, whose throw home was wild as the second run scored.
The Lady Seahawks were able to add single runs in the third and sixth innings, but Morgan lived to talk about a winning performance, despite stranding 11 Silverdale runners including the bases loaded in the second and fifth innings.
"I can't believe it. We pulled through, but I knew we would," she began after exiting the Sale Creek dugout.
"I felt like I pitched one of my better games, but my team showed up today. I was nervous but tried not to show it," she added.
Sale Creek scored in the first inning when Kristen Sharp's bases-loaded walk allowed Taylor Day to score.
Silverdale took a 2-1 lead with those two runs in the second while an RBI-single by Emily Harkleroad in the third drove in Lindsey Newell, who had doubled, for a 3-1 advantage.
The Lady Panthers took the lead for good with three runs in the foruth, those coming on two hits, two walks and a Silverdale error.
Hannah Holland drove in Jordan Duncan with a single while Mary Vandergriff's double allowed Mikah McCombs to cross the plate. An errant throw from the outfield allowed Holland to score what turned out to be the winning run.
Allison Meadows, one of two Silverdale seniors playing their last high school game, singled with one out in the sixth and scored on a double by Shelby Duggard, but that was as close as the Lady Seahawks would get.
Morgan retired the first two hitters in the Silverdale seventh before Hancock walked for the third time, but Sara Million popped to second to end the game.
"I never count them out," said veteran coach Clifford Kirk, who proudly admits that he has eight eighth graders on this year's team.
"McKenna Morgan hit her spots today. She had that one shaky inning, but she pitched with a lot of confidence and did an excellent job. This is a great win for our team as we've worked hard this spring.
"We didn't get to play as many games as we needed to because of the weather, but we practiced inside a lot and they deserve anything they get at this point. But our defense has continued to get better as the season progressed and today's win gives us at least two more games," Kirk added.
Silverdale had an outstanding season, but it ends with 21 wins, six losses and a tie. The Lady Seahawks created a lot of lasting memories, but the last game always hurts.
"That was a tough loss," said Tim Couch, who has been their coach for the past four years.
"We've been battling a lot of adversity these last few days, but we got beat by a better team today. We left way too many runners on base. We did what we could, but just came up short.
"We had a really good year, but isn't where we wanted it to end. Our goal is to win championships and we had high expectations, but this one hurts. I hope we can learn from this, but we got beat by a good team today and that's the way it is," he concluded.
The adversity Couch was talking about began last week when Meadows injured her knee. She didn't play in last week's district championship and probably shouldn't have been out there on Tuesday, but it was her last game.
Starting pitcher Taylor Moran suffered a possible broken hand when she got hit by a hard grounder off the bat of Kaleigh Cooper in the first. She was able to finish the inning, but had her hand in a splint when the game ended and was headed for x-rays.
Freshman Shelby Duggard took over the pitching duties, despite a painful foot injury that isn't completely well.
Cooper was the only Sale Creek player with three hits. Vandergriff and Holland both finished with two while Taylor Day, Sharp and Sydney Poe all had one apiece.
Harkleroad had three hits for the Lady Seahawks while Elise Pearson and Duggard both had two. Newell, Million and Meadows all had one apiece.
Sale Creek will now travel to Jasper on Wednesday for the Region 3-A championship against Marion County.
SALE CREEK 100 310 0 -- 5 10 2
SILVERDALE 021 001 0 -- 4 10 2
Morgan and Cooper; Moran, Duggard (2) and Hancock.
(Email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@Comcast.net)