LINDEN — North Montgomery softball has had a week to remember. On Friday the Chargers carried a two-game winning streak into their game against the visiting Faith Christian Eagles. Those two wins were against Sagamore Conference foe Frankfort. The game against the Eagles proved to a back and forth battle. The Chargers saw themselves down 11-6 entering the bottom of the fifth but rallied back for a big eight-run fifth to take a 14-11 lead. They’d end up holding on for their third straight win defeating the Eagles 15-13.
The three-game streak for the Chargers is their longest since at least 2013.
After the first two innings, both teams were deadlocked at 6-6 as each scored three runs in the first two frames. North Montgomery began their bottom of the fifth rally when Jaymie Freeman singled. Emma Pyle reached on a dropped third strike followed by Blair Nichols reaching on an error. Another Eagle error followed by three more Charger hits and walk saw them bat around.
Charger coach Rob Earley loved his teams resiliency and fight that they showed to be able to come back and hold on in the victory.
“These girls have all the fight in the world in them and that’s what I love most about coaching them,” he said. “They don’t stop and have no quit in them. No matter what the score has been all season long, it just wasn’t this game, they will battle until the final out and they showed that and proved it again tonight.”
North Montgomery (4-10) began the game with ace pitcher Piper Ramey on the mound. The plan was for the sophomore to go the distance, but a pulled muscle forced Ramey out of the game to begin the fourth inning. Earley noted how Ramey was still able to hit as the injury didn’t effect her at the plate. Freshman Hope Delp was called upon to pitch the final four innings was able to strike out five while giving up five earned runs. It was also Delp’s first career win on the mound.
“Hope is a good pitcher,” Earley said of the freshman. “She keeps it low and that’s where you need the ball to be. It’s a lot less likely to go over the fence when it’s down there.”
At the plate Ramey led the Chargers in hits with a 3-5 night. She added pair of RBI’s and scored three runs. While no one else in the Charger lineup was able to produce multiple hits, seven other Chargers had a single hit as Sophia Shea, Ella McManomy, Cascie Keller, Isabella Dockins, Freeman, Pyle, and Nichols all had a hit. Keller legged out a two-RBI triple and Ramey and McManomy had a double each.
North Montgomery also took advantage of the Eagles pitching. Starting pitcher Izzy Scott threw 10 wild pitches in the loss which allowed multiple Charger runners to advance bases and eventually come around to score. Scott did take the loss on the mound as in five innings she allowed nine hits and just four of the 14 Charger runs who scored against her were earned. She also struck out 10 in the loss.
Offensively for the Eagles they out-hit the Chargers 12-10. Center Fielder Bella Mounce went 3-4 while MJ Harper, Ally Wiegers, and Aley Brown all had two hits. Scott and Becca Smith added a hit each.
North Montgomery will conclude its busy week on Saturday morning when they welcome Greencastle (8-7) for the Chargers fifth game in seven days.
“We’ve just got to continue to play good defense and put the ball in play,” Earley said. “Our girls are playing confident right now and confidence can go a long way.”
