EFFINGHAM — One of Altamont, St. Anthony and Windsor-Stewardson-Strasburg has won the National Trail Conference Softball Tournament in the last 11 years.
That trend continued on Friday night.
The Hatchets won the NTC Tournament at Evergreen Hollow Park after defeating the Neoga Indians, 9-0. It was the seventh conference tournament title for WSS since the cooperative between Windsor and Stewardson-Strasburg began in 2014.
“The girls came to hit this week,” head coach Lindsay Krumreich said. “They made a lot of plays and we hit a lot of hard line drives that ended up being outs. We’re just looking to get better and trying to get back into a groove.”
Kendra Hayes started the game by striking out Chloe Frankie.
Josalyn Brandenburg then hit a single before Reyna Coy struck out.
Hannah Propst drew a walk to put runners on first and second. Hayes followed by striking out Madelynn Frankie to end the inning.
Mya Friese started the home half of the first with a single. She then advanced to second after a wild pitch.
Zaida Wascher pushed Friese to third on a ground out to first.
Hayes then hit a sacrifice fly to right, allowing Friese to tag and score.
Kinsley Dunaway then reached on an error.
Kalia Friese then grounded out to end the inning.
The Hatchets (20-7) scored five times in the second inning.
Clarissa Johnson hit a single to the opposite field. She advanced to second on a passed ball.
Claire Holland then reached on an error, allowing Johnson to score.
Makenna Corrie then hit an RBI double.
Cameron Carey and Mya Friese then hit back-to-back base hits.
Wascher then drove in a run on a sacrifice fly.
Dunaway plated two runs on a base hit before Kalia Friese popped out to end the frame.
The Indians got their first two batters on in the top of the third as Keeli McKay and Chloe Frankie hit back-to-back singles.
Hayes then retired the next three batters in order.
WSS plated two more runs in the fourth and one in the sixth.
Mya Friese had three hits (one triple), one RBI and three runs scored. Dunaway had three hits and two RBI. Johnson had two hits and one run scored. Carey had two hits and two runs scored. Hayes had one hit (one double), one RBI and one run scored. Corrie had one hit (one double) and one RBI.
Wascher had two RBI and Holland and Kierra Mueller each had one run scored.
Hayes allowed five hits and two walks to four strikeouts over seven innings. She threw 92 pitches, 61 for strikes.
“She didn’t have her good stuff [against St. Anthony] and, to be honest, she didn’t have her great stuff tonight either,” Krumreich said. “She located a little bit better and some different pitches were working, but she still didn’t have all of her pitches working at once this week. Sometimes, that happens.”
Neoga — which made its first trip to the NTC Tournament championship game in the 11-year timeframe — upset South Central and Cumberland on its way to the finale.
“I can’t express how proud I am of our team,” head coach Mark Jones said. “We are very young, but the way they’ve progressed throughout the year has been incredible. They’ve really bought into what we’re doing and our culture is great.
“They just keep battling.”
Brandenburg had two hits (one double). Chloe Frankie, Madelynn Frankie and McKay each had one hit.
Propst pitched and allowed 12 hits and nine runs (five earned) with two strikeouts over six innings.
“Hannah’s been fantastic. She does a great job,” Jones said. “You know she’s going to put the ball in the zone and trust her defense to make plays. With a good lineup like that, you know they’re going to find a way to put the ball in play and hit some balls hard. I thought she did a great job of continuing to go at them and make them earn it.”