Softball: Zoe Harris delivers game-winning sac fly as Ottawa gets even with L-P

PERU – Three weeks back, the Ottawa and La Salle-Peru softball teams played a low-scoring nail-biter, with the visiting Cavaliers handing Ottawa a tough-to-swallow 1-0 defeat on the Pirates’ home diamond.

Monday, the Pirates returned the favor.

Zoe Harris delivered a one-out, bases-loaded sacrifice fly against L-P pitcher Chloe Mitchell to score Hailey Larsen in the top of the sixth inning, while in the home half Pirates ace McKenzie Oslanzi wriggled out of a bases-loaded jam of her own as visiting Ottawa edged the Cavaliers in their Interstate Eight Conference series finale at Veteran’s Park, 2-0.

“It was definitely two great games [against L-P], and the pitching out of the two starters has just been incredible,” OHS coach Adam Lewis said. “We’ve been hitting the ball really well of late, and L-P’s been hitting the ball well all year. What [Oslanzi and Mitchell] were able to do in these two games against each other has just been incredible.

“And I’m super proud of Zoe coming through huge. It’s happened a couple of times this year. As soon as they [intentionally] walked [McKenz]ie, I knew Zoe was going to deliver.”

Ottawa improves to 14-5 overall, 7-2 in the I-8. La Salle-Peru slips to 16-3, 7-1.

The plate was set for Harris’ heroics by a rare off inning in the field by the Cavaliers.

Larsen drew a one-out walk from Mitchell (7 IP, 1 ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 9 K), then advanced from first to third on a hit-the-dirt-and-die bunt single off the bat of Ryleigh Stehl. Stehl trailed to second on the ill-advised throw trying to cut down Larsen. Cavaliers coach Randy Huebbe elected to walk No. 3 hitter Oslanzi to load the bases, and Harris responded by lifting a fly ball to right field, scoring Larsen and advancing the other two runners as well.

“After they intentionally walked McKenzie, I knew we had to capitalize, because there hadn’t been many baserunners,” Harris said.“ I was just hoping to knock them in, one way or the other. Instantly [after I hit it], I was thinking , ‘Tag, Tag,’ for the runner on third, and I was happy with it even if it was a pop-up, because I knew it was going to get her in.”

Stehl’s tagging up paid immediate insurance dividends, as she drew a pickoff throw while between third and home, scoring on the errant throw to give the Pirates a 2-0 advantage.

The bottom half of that sixth inning saw La Salle-Peru get its chance against Oslanzi (7 IP, 0 R, 5 H, 1 BB, 8 K).

Avah Moriarty singled with one out and was replaced on the bases on Taylor Martyn’s fielder’s choice groundout. Paige Kirkman hit a double down the right-field line to put runners on second and third, and like Huebbe in the top half, Lewis elected to intentionally walk a batter – this time L-P cleanup hitter Maddy Pangrcic – to load the bases.

Oslanzi, however, induced a strikeout to end the threat, then pitched a scoreless seventh to close out her complete-game shutout and avenge a tough-luck loss to Mitchell in a 1-0 L-P victory back on April 11.

“The funny thing is we were actually better offensively this game,” Huebbe said. “We actually hit [Oslanzi] hard. We just couldn’t find the right spots. We had a few chances.

“I told the girls, I’m not mad at that game. As much as we have a rivalry here and get upset losing to them, I wasn’t mad about this. If we play like that every game the rest of this year, we’ll be fine. We’ve been in a funk lately, but I think we played really well today.

“I’ve never not been mad before at a loss, but I’m not mad at this one.”