Marianna Angels outlast Sneads

After failing to dot the scoreboard through six innings, the Marianna Angels exploded for 14 runs in the seventh to take a 14-3 win over Sneads Friday night in the district title game at Optimist Park.

Marianna advanced to the state tournament, which begins next weekend in Brooksville.

The game was a classic pitcher’s duel through six innings, with Sneads’ Autumn Avriett and Kaylee Kain each pitching three strong innings against Marianna’s equally tough Baylee Childs.

When Marianna finally broke through in the seventh, it broke through in a big way.

The first 10 Marianna All-Stars batters reached base to start the seventh, and Marianna led 8-0 before Sneads was able to record the first out of the inning.

A double by Amy Gerehart started the rally, and an RBI single down the third base line broke the scoreless tie to put Marianna up 1-0.

After a walk to Sydnee Goodson loaded the bases, another walk to Delaney Basford brought home another Marianna run.

Walks to Bonnie Bigale and Childs made it 4-0 and brought about a pitching change for Sneads.

Ashlyn Goodson came on in relief of Kain, but Carlee Wilson roped a two-run single to center field to make it 6-0, with Childs and Wilson coming around to score on errors to push the lead to eight runs.

Four batters and two outs later, Gerehart added her second hit of the inning to score Konnor Johnson and Allyson Cannady, and make it 10-0.

After an infield single by Ansley Carter and a walk to Valerie Sims, Sneads brought in Lindsey Poole to face Goodson with the bases loaded.

Goodson walked to make it an 11-0 game. A two-run single by Delaney Basford, followed another run-scoring Sneads error, pushed the lead to 14-0.

Poole finally brought the inning that seemed it would never end to a close, by getting Childs to pop out to second base.

In the bottom of the seventh, Marianna brought on Bigale to replace Childs in the circle.

Sneads found success against Bigale with three hits and three runs, but the hill was just too steep to climb.

Chloe Henry doubled to lead off the inning, and scored on an RBI groundout by Keirstyn Varn.

An RBI single by Bree Davis plated another run for Sneads, with Goodson coming home to score on a Marianna error to make it 14-3.

A hard lineout to third base by Abigale McIntosh marked the second out of the inning. Two batters later, Faith Douthat hit into a force play at second to end the game.

It was a heartbreaking defeat for the Sneads All-Stars, who had their chances to win the game before extra innings.

Sneads loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the fifth, needing just one run for a district championship.

A walk to Varn and singles by Davis and McIntosh put Childs in a precarious predicament with only one out, and the game hung in the balance.

However, Childs responded by striking out Douthat swinging, and then got Katie Mayes looking to keep Marianna’s hopes alive and send the game to extra innings.

Sneads had the bases loaded in the fourth inning as well, with walks by Avriett and Tori Owens and a double by Henry filling the bases with two down.

But it was another Childs strikeout that kept Sneads off the scoreboard, as she got Goodson to end the threat.

Marianna also missed opportunities to score, stranding two runners in the second and fourth innings, with Sims getting thrown out at home plate for the third out of the fourth inning.

In the top of the sixth, it appeared Marianna would finally get on the board when Johnson reached third base on a Sneads error to lead off the inning.

But Kain got Cannady to pop out, then induced a ground ball out by Selena Ubias, with Johnson getting hung up between third base and home before being tagged out for an inning-ending double-play.