LocalSportsJournal.com

HART – Momentum was not on Hart softball’s side in the early going of their district finals win over Mason County Central on Saturday. The Pirates were able to weather the storm however, moving forward with a win, 10-7.

In order to get to the finals round, Hart first had a date with their rival Shelby in the semifinals. That matchup proved too much for the Tigers, who are fielding an inexperienced team. 

Hart got off to a hot start in that 24-0 shutout win over Shelby, scoring all of their runs in the first two innings. Three Pirates notched multiple hits with Mackenna Carrier, Gabby Quijas and Ambrielle Duncan all having big games. Duncan was the true catalyst on offense, driving in four runs on three hits and scoring one run.

Quijas started the day on the rubber, pitching just two innings where she struck out five and allowed just one hit. Addison Schiller pitched one inning in relief, striking out two before the game was ended by mercy rule after three frames.

Shelby had just three hits in the loss. Claire Gowell, Addison Shook and Aspen Corey were responsible for the Tigers’ only offense.

That advanced Hart to the finals where they’d face the Spartans.

Before they could even take on MCC, the Pirates were forced to wait out a passing storm that brought rain. That wasn’t the last storm they’d need to conquer over the coming hours.

When play began, Hart found themselves in a close game in which they held a 3-2 advantage after the top of the third. The Spartans went on to score four runs in that same inning thanks to an RBI from Aylin Davila and multiple mistakes by the Pirates’ defense.

Kelsey Copenhaver was pulled from the pitcher’s circle in the third inning after allowing five earned runs on three hits and eight walks while striking out three. Thanks to a brief outing against Shelby, Quijas was reinserted to finish out the game.

Quijas flipped the script, allowing eight hits but only a single run the rest of the way. That allowed her team to crawl back into the game and steal the win with a combined seven runs in the fifth and sixth innings.

Offensively for Hart, Makayla Rockwell and Gabby Schmieding each had just a single hit in three at bats, but Schmieding recorded three RBI and Rockwell knocked in two. Quijas also drive in a pair of runs.

The Pirates advance to the regional semifinals on Saturday where they’ll take on Kingsley (9-10) at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Middle School in Traverse City at 10 a.m.