WILLOW STREET - While Kendall Beck was credited with all three runs batted in in Hempfield's riveting 3-2 win over Manheim Central in the L-L League softball title game Wednesday night at Garrett Field, it was the Knights' Annie Hartman - the six-hole hitter - who played the role of catalyst.
In the bottom of the fifth and again in the bottom of the seventh, it was Hartman who got on base to start the inning, and both times she came around to score, including the game-winning run with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, when Beck smacked a single to left, plating Hartman with the winner.
Manheim Central, the reigning league champ coming into Wednesday's title game, scored two runs in the top of the first, giving ace righty Sara McKee a pair of runs to work with.
And McKee was cruising along until the bottom of the fifth, when Hartman worked a leadoff walk. She eventually found herself on third after Nikki Rhoads, the nine-hole hitter, had a two-out single.
Hartman and Rhoads scored on Beck's single, and the game was tied at 2-all.
In the bottom of the seventh, still knotted at 2, Hartman hit a single off McKee to open the frame.
McKee, the Barons' vet righty, struck out two to put the game on the brink of extra innings. But Rhoads scratched out an infield hit before Beck had the game-winning hit, a sharp single between third and short to plate Hartman, who was on base twice and scored two enormous runs, including the clincher for the Knights, who improved to 21-2, won their 21st game in a row and won their first L-L League gold trophy since 2003.
Chatted with Hartman after the Knights' win over the Barons about Hempfield's title, about getting on base and scoring a couple of monster runs, about the Knights' success and looking forward to Districts. Take a look.