Triple play leads the way in SGS 9-10 title game

STREATOR — The hardest-hit ball of Thursday night's Streator Girls Softball 9-10 city championship game turned into a triple play, and it was immediately followed by a half inning which saw the other team take the lead for good with five runs on just one base hit.

It was that kind of wild game — and an entertaining one to boot — here at Bodznick Park as U.S. Truck Body defeated All-Type Fence for the SGS 9-10 city title, 11-6.

The triple play — an L6-3-4-6 for those of you scoring at home — took place in the bottom of the fourth inning.

All-Type leadoff hitter Kelsey Cuchra stepped in with no outs and the bases loaded and smashed an absolute rocket of a line drive toward Truck Body's Emma Palaschak. With all three runners going on the hard contact, the shortstop snagged the liner and fired to first baseman Ella Chalkey for the second out.

Chalkey then threw back to the middle of the diamond to double off the runner at second. Her throw ricocheted off second baseman Syriah Miller's glove toward Palaschak, who turned around, saw the runner originally at second trying to scamper back behind her and tagged her for the third out.

"I was really happy when I caught it, and then really nervous when I threw it to first," Palaschak said. "But then Ella threw it back to second, and when I tagged her out I was really happy."

The triple play preserved a 6-6 tie, and in the top of the next inning U.S. Truck Body capitalized on that momentum by seeing all eight of its batters reach safely — Joie Schmitt with an RBI hit by pitch, Syriah Miller with an RBI swinging-bunt single, and Chalkey, Mara Williamson and Hadley Scorby all with run-scoring bases on balls to give the blue-clad visitors its five-run maximum for the frame and an 11-6 lead.

Pitchers Maiya Lansford (3 IP, 6 ER, 5 K) and Palaschak (3 IP, 0 R, 9 K) made it hold up for the win. For the game, Alivia Fryman, Williamson and Scorby each delivered two RBIs, Miller had two hits (including a double) and three runs scored. Maiya Lansford added an RBI hit, with Cyra Tupayachi singling and scoring twice.

"All of our girls came out strong, they had their heads in the game, and they finished strong," said U.S. Truck Body coach Ashley Lansford, whose team went 12-3 this summer capped by Thursday's win. "They all stuck together, and they did what they needed to do when they needed to do it. ...

"And the triple play was awesome."

All-Type Fence received RBI singles from both Caria Burton and Arleigh Pleskovitch, a triple from Madison Yurich, two RBIs on bases-loaded walks drawn by Lydia Chapman, and a single, a double and two RBIs off the red-hot bat of Cuchra.

"It felt awesome (playing in the championship game)," Cuchra said, "because we tried our best. I made a lot of new friends this year, we played our best, we did really well, and we worked really hard."

Lilly Libby at second base and Cuchra behind the plate made standout plays defensively for All-Type, with Libby (3 IP, 2 ER, 9 K) and Ella Venturi (2+ IP, 6 ER, 5 K) leading the pitching staff for the runners-up.

"That fourth inning with the no outs and the triple play, that was one downfall," said All-Type Fence coach Charlene Hamann, her team finishing 10-4-1. "And the next one was the fifth inning where we didn't pitch or bat well. After that, I think it was pretty much written in the stars.

"We knew this was going to be the toughest team to play ... and I told them at the beginning of the game, regardless of what happens, just have fun. I think they did."

At Bodznick Park, Streator

U.S. Truck Body 11, All-Type Fence 6

(Key: AB-R-H-RBI)

TRUCK BODY (11) — Fryman 3-0-1-2, Lansford 2-1-1-1, Tupayachi 2-2-1-0, Palaschak 4-1-0-0, Schmitt 3-2-0-1, Miller 3-3-2-1, Chalkey 2-1-0-1, Williamson 1-0-0-2, Scorby 0-1-0-2. Totals 20-11-5-10.

ALL-TYPE (6) — Cuchra 3-0-2-2, Yurich 3-0-1-0, Bradley 3-0-0-0, Libby 1-0-0-0, Schubbe 2-0-0-0, Essman 2-1-0-0, Burton 2-2-1-1, Pleskovitch 2-2-1-1, Davis 2-0-0-0, Venturi 1-1-0-0, Chapman 0-0-0-2. Totals 21-6-5-6.

Truck Body (12-3) 031 250 — 11 5 1

All-Type (10-4-1) 030 300 — 6 5 2

LOB - Truck Body 16; All-Type 8. 2B - Miller, Cuchra. 3B - Yurich. SB - Fryman, Tupayachi, Libby. CS - none. HBP - Schmitt 2 (1 by Libby, 1 by Schubbe), Williamson (by Libby).

U.S. Truck Body ip r er h bb k

Palaschak 3.0 0 0 1 1 9

Lansford 3.0 6 6 4 10 5

All-Type Fence

Libby 3.0 2 2 1 7 9

Venturi 2+ 7 6 3 9 5

Schubbe 0.0 2 2 1 3 0