Staff Reports
CLAYTON — A memorable season came to an end for the Houston softball team Sunday in a Division IV regional final against unbeaten Williamsburg at Northmont High School.
And in a game uncharacteristic of the Shelby County Wildcats, mistakes proved costly early before Williamsburg ended things in the sixth inning in a 10-0 run rule.
Sarah Monnier had a one-out single in the top of the first, but it would be Houston’s only hit of the game. The Lady Wildcats’ only other base runners came on walks.
In the third, Micalah Hensley walked, but was thrown out stealing. And in the fourth, Kayla New walked and was stranded.
Williamsburg threatened in the second, but Monnier threw a runner out trying to steal and Kaytlyn Riffell made a diving catch in left field to end the inning.
Kayla New kept Williamsburg off the board for three innings, but the southern Ohio Lady Wildcats scored four runs in the fourth to take control.
Casey Wagers had a single and Morgan Gullett drew a walk. With runners on second and third, Rylee Clark struck out, but the ball went to the backstop, scoring Wagers and leaving runners on second and third.
Mikayla Kirshner delivered a seeing-eye single down the right-field line to score two runs and the final run would score on Faith Golden’s fielder’s choice.
Williamsburg would make it 5-0 in the fifth when pitcher Kacey Smith walked and would come around to score on a passed ball and two wild pitches.
Then, Williamsburg ended it with a bizarre five-run sixth inning.
With a runner on third and two outs, a pop-up appeared it would end the inning. But there was collision between two Houston players, scoring the second run of the inning and making it 7-0.
With a 3-0 count on Wagers and a runner on third, the game was stopped after the umpires heard thunder. When the game resumed, Wagers sent a shot over the right-field fence on a full-count pitch to make it 9-0.
Gullett followed with a single and continued to second on an error in the outfield. Clark then drilled a double to the fence to score Gullett and end it.
Kayla New and Macey Stang combined on a nine-hitter, walking six and striking out two.
Smith struck out nine and walked two.
Houston finishes the season at 21-10.
