1 day Ago By Lauren Rosenberg
HARLETON — With no playoff implications at stake and low pressure, the Elysian Fields Lady Jackets (7-21, 5-8) upset the Harleton Lady Cats (7-17, 7-6) in a 6-4 district win on Tuesday. Layla Adkins started in the circle for Elysian Fields. She pitched a solid game going all seven innings while allowing four runs, one earned on four hits, walking two and striking out three.
Harleton is known to have strong bats in their lineup and great plate discipline. Adkins found a way to limit their hits and have them chase out of the zone. “It’s difficult pitching against a team like Harleton because they like to swing a lot at the right time.
All day at school, I was thinking about their strong bats and how I have to do my best to pitch around that. It’s pretty intimidating but once you get out there, you start to get more comfortable,” said Adkins. The Elysian Fields scoring started in the first inning.
Madison Owens raked a triple to straight center field that almost went out of the park to bring in Madi Giddens. After allowing a leadoff walk, Adkins forced three straight groundouts to get the Lady Jackets’ offense back at the plate. A single by Julie Lowery and a double by Taylor Youngblood set up Rylee Deal.
Deal singled to second base to bring in Lowery and take a 2-0 lead. Adkins continued to dominate in the circle. She didn’t allow any Harleton runs to come across and went 1-2-3 in the third inning to maintain their 2-0 lead.
Harleton got on the board for the first time in the bottom of the fourth as Kaitlyn Watson brought in Maddi King to cut Elysian Fields’ lead to 2-1. Belle Green took over the pitching duties for Harleton and got off to a rough start. After allowing a leadoff walk and an error, Owens headed to the plate to give Elysian Fields another prime opportunity to pad their lead.
Owens ripped another tripe to dead centerfield to bring in Giddens and Kaylen Commander and take a 4-1 lead. Abagail Hooten doubled to center field to bring in Owens and take a 5-1 lead. “I was just waiting for the right pitch [for both triples] and wanted to do my best to help my team out.
The first triple helped started the momentum for us to keep scoring. It’s our last week of playing, so I wanted to help our team get the win,” said Owens. “Madi’s [Owens] offense is outstanding.
The kid can hit the ball. She had two triples tonight and all year long, she’s been smoking the ball. Once she gets to the plate, I don’t get nervous at all because I know she’s getting ready to put something in play.
I’m very proud of her and know she’s going to do big things next year,” said Coach Ed LeBlanc. Harleton started to chip away at the lead after a single by Kayela Nealy and Green reaching on an error put two on for Zoey Ring. Ring grounded out to second, but Nealy scored to cut Elysian Fields’ lead to 5-2.
Youngblood and Deal drew two consecutive walks to put two on for Adkins. Adkins ripped a double to center field to bring in Youngblood and take a 6-2 lead in the top of the sixth. After a single by Addison Morris and King getting hit by pitch, Elysian Fields rolled a perfectly-executed double play and a strikeout to halt the Harleton threat.
Hooten raked a double to center field but was thrown out trying to stretch for third. Green struck out Kaleigh Merritt, and Lowery lined out to keep the Lady Jackets at a 6-2 lead and give some momentum to the Lady Cats. Harleton scored two runs in the top of the seventh after Ring laced a RBI-double to left field and Green scored on a passed ball.
Despite some momentum coming for Harleton, the comeback was short lived after Morris grounded out to Adkins and Elysian Fields secured the 6-4 upset. “These girls are a very strong team and I feel like if we came out the way we played tonight, we’re hard to beat against anybody. Adkins, our freshman pitcher, has stepped up so much and I’m really proud of her and the way she steps into the circle and gets the job done.
We had one total error as a team tonight and we stepped up to the plate, did what we needed to do and had smart baserunning. It all came together and we had the big upset tonight,” said LeBlanc. For Elysian Fields, Owens led the way going 2-4 with three RBIs and two triples.
Hooten followed suit going 2-4 with two doubles. For Harleton, Ring went 1-4 with a RBI and Nealy went 1-3..
