Focused Gators rally to win tourney
The softball fans on the North Star benches started feeling the Heartland Conference Tournament title was theirs for the taking in the fifth inning.
But the players on the field weren’t convinced, keeping their intensity and focus through the final strikeout and beyond.
Finally able to take a breath, the Navigator players were able to celebrate their first conference tournament championship, a come-from-behind 4-3 win against No. 8-ranked Southwest.
“We were in this game (a championship game against Southwest) two years ago and lost in extra innings. We lost 1-0 last year to East, so this feels good,” third-year coach Todd LaVelle said.
Southwest scored two runs in the bottom of the first as Ashley Janssen singled to score Alex Schmidt, and an errant throw allowed Becca Changstrom to score and Janssen to reach second.
The Silver Hawks mustered just one run in the final five innings.
No. 10 North Star began its comeback in the fourth when freshman Kylie Harpst singled to drive in Emily Weber. Harpst advanced to second on an error before scoring on a double by Stephanie Densberger to make the score 3-2.
With two outs and one on in the fifth, Weber hit a triple, scoring Mallory Nesson. Weber scored the winning run off a Lindsey Cale single.
“We’re proud of the way our team played,” senior pitcher Brittany Coufal said. “We played hard and put it together when we needed to.”
“Eight of these girls have started for three years,” said LaVelle, “and as good as this feels, we have a few more goals to achieve, but I’m happy for the win.”
Coufal, who did not play in last year’s championship game because of an injury to her hand, earned the win. Junior Paige Policky pitched the final two innings for the save.
“It feels so good that I can continue and be out there to help us win this,” Coufal said. “
North Star advanced to its third straight championship game with a 1-0 win over Lincoln East.
Policky drove in the winning run in the top of the seventh and also earned the win in the circle.
In North Star’s opening-round game, a 7-2 win against Lincoln Northeast, Lindsey Cale was 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs. Harpst earned the win.
Southwest advanced with a 7-1 win against Lincoln High and a 4-0 win against No. 9 Southeast.
Against the Links, Kylie Garrett threw a four-hitter and Brittni Eitzmann had two doubles.
In the win against Southeast, Changstrom had 16 strikeouts, while Schmidt and Janssen each doubled. In the title game, Changstrom had 12 strikeouts and was 3-for-3 from the plate.
In the third-place game against Lincoln East, Southeast earned a 2-1 win when senior KK Houser scored off a wild pitch.
“I’m very pleased with our performance,” Knight coach Tim Roberson said. “It was a crucial win for us and we beat two solid teams in Fremont and East.”
Grand Island finished fifth, while Northeast was seventh.
Reach Lori Griffin at 473-7174 or lgriffin@journalstar.com.
But the players on the field weren’t convinced, keeping their intensity and focus through the final strikeout and beyond.
Finally able to take a breath, the Navigator players were able to celebrate their first conference tournament championship, a come-from-behind 4-3 win against No. 8-ranked Southwest.
“We were in this game (a championship game against Southwest) two years ago and lost in extra innings. We lost 1-0 last year to East, so this feels good,” third-year coach Todd LaVelle said.
Southwest scored two runs in the bottom of the first as Ashley Janssen singled to score Alex Schmidt, and an errant throw allowed Becca Changstrom to score and Janssen to reach second.
The Silver Hawks mustered just one run in the final five innings.
No. 10 North Star began its comeback in the fourth when freshman Kylie Harpst singled to drive in Emily Weber. Harpst advanced to second on an error before scoring on a double by Stephanie Densberger to make the score 3-2.
With two outs and one on in the fifth, Weber hit a triple, scoring Mallory Nesson. Weber scored the winning run off a Lindsey Cale single.
“We’re proud of the way our team played,” senior pitcher Brittany Coufal said. “We played hard and put it together when we needed to.”
“Eight of these girls have started for three years,” said LaVelle, “and as good as this feels, we have a few more goals to achieve, but I’m happy for the win.”
Coufal, who did not play in last year’s championship game because of an injury to her hand, earned the win. Junior Paige Policky pitched the final two innings for the save.
“It feels so good that I can continue and be out there to help us win this,” Coufal said. “
North Star advanced to its third straight championship game with a 1-0 win over Lincoln East.
Policky drove in the winning run in the top of the seventh and also earned the win in the circle.
In North Star’s opening-round game, a 7-2 win against Lincoln Northeast, Lindsey Cale was 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs. Harpst earned the win.
Southwest advanced with a 7-1 win against Lincoln High and a 4-0 win against No. 9 Southeast.
Against the Links, Kylie Garrett threw a four-hitter and Brittni Eitzmann had two doubles.
In the win against Southeast, Changstrom had 16 strikeouts, while Schmidt and Janssen each doubled. In the title game, Changstrom had 12 strikeouts and was 3-for-3 from the plate.
In the third-place game against Lincoln East, Southeast earned a 2-1 win when senior KK Houser scored off a wild pitch.
“I’m very pleased with our performance,” Knight coach Tim Roberson said. “It was a crucial win for us and we beat two solid teams in Fremont and East.”
Grand Island finished fifth, while Northeast was seventh.
Reach Lori Griffin at 473-7174 or lgriffin@journalstar.com.
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