St. James' softball season ends at Chapin

CHAPIN | Uneasiness came across St. James softball coach Adam Jones during extra innings at Chapin High School.

It started when the Sharks left the bases loaded in the top half of the eighth inning. Things only worsened in the bottom half of the inning as the Eagles’ first two batters singled and drew an intentional walk to load the bases.

Alyssa Brulport's line drive to right field off all-state pitcher Raegan Tibbits brought home the winning run, ending the Sharks' season and sending the Eagles to the 5A lower state final in Summerville.

"A good hitting team like that, we just can’t give them opportunities,” Jones said after the 3-2 loss. “As soon they got bases loaded, I didn’t have a good feeling about it because that’s one of the best hitting teams we’ve seen all year. Maybe the best hitting team we’ve seen all year. We knew we had to score more than two to win this ballgame because we knew they were going to score. … There it is right there on the scoreboard. So, you’ve got to give them credit. They got all the hits when they needed to and we didn’t, and we had opportunities to take advantage of.”

After losing 11-6 at home to Chapin, St. James (23-4) managed to keep the rematch low scoring on the road. Both Sharks’ runs came off a go-ahead two-run single in the fifth inning by all-state third baseman Madi Krause.

She accounted for two of the five hits by the Sharks’ offense, which managed only three runs in their last 19 innings.

After getting shut out 2-0 at home by Summerville, Chapin also managed just two runs in seven innings. Both came off the bat of Maddie McMillion. Her first RBI single put the Eagles ahead in the bottom of the first inning and her second hit tied the game in the bottom of the fifth.

The two teams stranded runners in the sixth inning. Mary Coozian doubled with one out in the top of the seventh inning but was left at second base after Chapin pitcher Leah Cabe struck out Abby Proudy and got Krause to ground out to third base.

After the Eagles were held scoreless in the bottom of the seventh, the Sharks rallied with two outs in the top of the eighth inning. They got back-to-back singles from Carrie Sintrakio and Kenzie Krause and Tibbits was hit by Cabe.

St. James came up empty as Laney Brown popped out in foul territory. The Eagles wasted little time seizing victory as Eason Davis doubled and Aspen Mayers singled to open the bottom half of the inning.

After Reagan Haggard was intentionally walked, Brulport ended the Sharks’ season with a walkoff single.

Despite the loss, Jones left Chapin upbeat about his team’s future.

“Honestly, the sky’s the limit for the girls that are not seniors,” he said. “Right now, we have four freshmen and an eighth grader starting already. Freshman centerfielder, freshman pitcher, freshman first baseman, eighth grade shortstop. So, we’re really loaded with young talent. Hopefully, this sets the bar higher than we set it the past couple of years and pushes us further next year.

“This needs to be the standard here for what we’ve done this year. I’m disappointed in the outcome of the game, but in no way am I disappointed in our season. I’d be stupid to be disappointed in our season because these kids overachieved all year. They did everything we asked them to do. They played out of their minds. And we got that far, we came this far, with young kids. Basically a JV team. So, I’m not in any way disappointed. I’m ecstatic.”