Rising Sun softball coach Rusty Moore had a simple explanation for his team's 3-1 loss to La Plata in a state semifinal game Wednesday at Bachman Park. The Warriors scored all three of their runs in the bottom of the third to take a 3-0 lead and went on a earn a bid in the championship contest.
"It was a close game. We got ourselves in trouble a little bit there," Moore said. "It really was the tunring point of the game. I think we just pressed too hard from that point on. But my emotions are I couldn't be more prouder of these girls. We set out with a goal in mind and that was to reach the regional championship and win it. And we did that. Then we talked about, once we got there, then the next step was the next step. I couldn't have asked for more out of them. They played their hearts out and we just didn't get it. We just got beat and sometimes that happens." Jasmine Wathen led off the decisive third inning with a single and number nine hitter Hannah Kraft reached when Rising Sun could not cleanly field her bunt. Sydney Bales delivered an RBI double and another run scored on an error on the play. Bales scored on a sacrifice fly by Lacie Hardesty. Rising Sun got on the board in the sixth. Ally Bradford belted a double to deep center and pinch hitter Marissa Cooper lined an RBI single to right. But the next three hitters were retired, leaving the Tigers staring at a 3-1 deficit. Winning pitcher Ava Krahling tossed a 1-2-3 seventh inning to secure a state title game berth. Despite the defeat, the Tigers viewed the game as the successful culmination of a four-year journey that began when Moore was transferred to Rising Sun from Perryville High and took over the Tigers' program. Moore's genuine affection for his players was evident in a postgame interview, especially when talking about his senior class – second baseman Mia Sexton, left fielder Alexa Hull, catcher Emily Consiglio, and first baseman Mackenzie Smith. "I spoke invidually with each one of the girls," said Moore, his voice beginning to crackle with emotion. "It's tough. Just to watch them grow. I couldn't be more proud of those girls. They stuck with me. I said to each one of them, I said 'I know I haven't always been a big fan of me. I made decisions you didn't agree with and you didn't like over those four years. You stuck with me, you listened, and we all got better. Without them, we wouldn't have been there. It's going to be tough to replace them. It really is. It was special to be able to see that after so long with all the upturn with them, to get something solidified and get [to the state semifinals]." Hull admitted things got off to a slow start. "It was kind of rocky," she said. "Everybody was getting to know everyone and then every year we grew closer, we grew as a team. Our skills get better and from there we just built up." Just minutes after the final out, Hull was still sorting through her feelings. "I don't really know what to think," she said. "It's like bittersweet. I played the past four years with this group of girls and Rusty. Obviously I wanted to make it all the way but to me regional champs with my team is amazing." Comments are closed.
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