Despite trailing for most of their Sectional 39 semifinal contest against the Taylor Titans, Madison-Grant got the big hit when it mattered most, as Gracey Fox’s two-run bloop single in the bottom of the seventh inning gave the Argylls a 6-5, walk-off victory on Wednesday night.
With the triumph, the Argylls will face off against Tipton in the championship game.
The Titans got on the scoreboard first on a solo shot from Madelyn Delgato, but Fox’s double in the second inning scored Chelsea Parker and tied the game at 1-1.
After some solid pitching from Ellie Alcala in the first three innings, the Titans were finally able to solve her in the fourth, scoring two runs on an double and an error. Two more errors allowed two more Titans to cross the plate, giving Taylor a 5-1 lead.
“I think a lot of it was that we were looking past them,” Madison-Grant Head Coach Danny Justus said. “We were chomping at the bit to get to whoever we were going to get to. We just couldn’t put anything together.”
But the Argylls battled back in the fifth frame, cutting the Taylor advantage to one. Alcala scored two on a rope to the right-center gap, and Parker plated Alcala with a single, cutting M-G’s deficit to 5-4.
With two runners on and two out in the bottom of the seventh, Fox hit a pop-up that was misplayed by Taylor’s shortstop. That mistake allowed both runners to score, and for Madison-Grant to advance.
It’s all about surviving and advancing when it comes to the playoffs, and the Argylls live to fight another day.
“We get another chance,” Justus said. “We need to come out and make the most of it.”
