JACKSON, Miss. – Maryville's magical late-season run came to a halt here Thursday afternoon when Belhaven dealt the Scots a double defeat. The host Blazers won 5-3 and 8-2 to capture the inaugural Collegiate Conference of the South softball championship series.
A tip of the cap to the Blazers. The preseason pick to win the title went on to sweep both the regular season and tournament crowns.
In Thursday's twin bill, they outscored the visiting Scots 13-5 and outhit them 22-7. Maryville made five errors and Belhaven played errorless ball.
Tournament Most Outstanding Player Kennedy Carruth, who also was the CCS Pitcher of the Year, picked up victories in both games. She went the distance in the opener and then pitched five of the seven innings in the clincher. First baseman Ellie Jones highlighted the offense by blasting three home runs.
"It's been a great year," Maryville head coach
Jill Moore said. "The girls put everything they had into the program and today was an unfortunate end. It's not where we wanted to be at the end of the day, but it doesn't take away from what they accomplished this year and the hard work they put in.
"I'm really proud of them and how they fought."
Fresh Start in Game 2 Never Materialized
After scoring three times against Carruth and bringing the tying run to the plate in the top of the seventh of Game 1, Maryville had high hopes for Game 2 as the home team.
But Belhaven scored five times in the top of the first and never really was threatened. The Blazers connected for 14 hits against
Kennedy Henry and
Megan Ackerman, and Maryville's offense could only get to Carruth for a run in the first and then scored a run in the fifth against reliever Gracey Baucom.
Maryville's base hits in Game 2 came off the bats of
Sara Koonce,
Jenica Brown,
Bailey Myers and
Paige Dickinson. Brown's hit was her ninth triple of the season, which should keep her among the national leaders.
Also among the NCAA leaders is Koonce in hit-by-pitch. She was plunked three times Thursday to reach an even 20 for the season.
"We needed to compete better in the box," Moore said. "Carruth is a great pitcher; everybody knows that. We will find a way to compete better, and we learned today that we can't let one person continually get us out and be able to beat us. That was a hard lesson we had to learn today.
"For our returners, it gives us something to point toward that we can't allow to happen if we are going to compete for a title again next year."
Big Blasts Get Blazers Going
Game 1 was the Jones Show. Belhaven's first baseman belted a solo homer to center and then a two-run shot over the scoreboard in left center in her first two at bats to put the Blazers on the front foot.
Jones finished the day 4-for-6 with three home runs, seven RBIs and four runs scored. Her slugging percentage for the doubleheader was 2.333.
The home team added an unearned run in the third for a 4-0 lead and that ended up being enough for Carruth. The junior righthander struck out six and allowed three hits.
Two of those hits came in the seventh, when Maryville scored its three runs and brought the tying run to the plate.
Brecca Williams led off and swung at strike three, but the ball got away from the catcher and Williams reached first on the wild pitch.
After Koonce was hit by a pitch, Brown doubled into the right field corner and it was 5-1. Myers and
Emily Hill followed with RBI groundouts and then
Ava Whitmire singled up the middle.
That brought the tying run to the plate in pinch-hitter Dickinson. The first-year slugger fouled off several Carruth offerings before a 2-2 pitch got away from the catcher. Whitmire wandered a little too far off the bag at first and Belhaven was able to throw behind her and pick her off for the final out.
Ackerman a Workhorse Again
Ackerman pitched the first four innings and took the loss in Game 1 after scattering six hits and striking out five.
Chloe Boyd was sharp over her two innings of relief, allowing just one run on two hits.
Ackerman for the day went 10 1/3 innings, allowing six earned runs on 16 hits. She finishes a terrific season 13-10 with a 1.83 ERA over 145 2/3 innings.
"We competed today and we competed hard, and I'm proud of the way we continued to compete in both seventh innings," Moore said. "We went seven innings with them and it's hard to dig yourself out early, but we were there. We were in both games."
"We lose a big three in Kennedy, Jenica and Annie. They're still going to be a part of our family, and they helped us get to where we are. But for all our returners, we can use today to learn what we need to do in those big moments and how to combat where we weren't out best today."
Moore, who had her first practice with the team in January of this year, likes where the program stands heading into 2024.
"I am so proud of the way they came through and where we are now and where we're going to be in the future," Moore said. "The future is very bright, and I'm excited for that. Today hurts, but the three seniors put us in the position we were in to compete for a title. We will remember that next year and we are going to find a way."
Maryville ends its season at 27-15 for its most wins since 2019. Belhaven's winning streak is up to 14 games and the Blazers have won 22 of their last 24 to improve to 29-11.
2023 CCS Softball All-Tournament Team
C - Sara Koonce, MARYVILLE
1B - Ellie Jones, Belhaven
2B - Sydney Runnels, Belhaven
3B - Allie Gordon, Belhaven
SS - Bailey Myers, MARYVILLE
OF - Natalie Ritchey, Huntingdon
OF - Madi Miller, Belhaven
OF - Jenica Brown, MARYVILLE
DH - Kara Taylor, Piedmont
P - Kennedy Carruth, Belhaven
P - Megan Ackerman, MARYVILLE
Most-Outstanding Player – Kennedy Carruth, Belhaven
