Storybook ending
Softball takes must-win Game 2 with grand slam
Senior Abby Brand crosses the plate during Saturday’s second game at home. After taking a loss on Friday, the girls won the best-of-three series with a 6-3 win (on a grand slam homerun) in Game 2 and a 4-2 victory in Game 3.
May 1, 2023
Freshman Zoey Allison knew what she had to do.
Softball was down 3-2.
The bases were loaded.
Her team had to win to advance.
Allison hit a grand slam in the bottom of the seventh inning in a must-win Game 2 to beat Glenn High School 6-3 and send the best-of-three series into a third game. The Rangers won 4-2 in the final game to take the series.
“At first, I was like, ‘OK, I gotta go, I gotta run,’” Allison said. “And then as soon as the crowd erupted, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I just hit that,’ and then I just burst. There was energy and emotions everywhere.”
After a rain delay Friday night, the Rangers found themselves down one game in the series after falling 4-2 to Glenn. The best-of-three series meant the Rangers had to win both games on Saturday at home to keep their season alive.
“None of these kids have been in the playoffs,” coach Amanda Wolf-Schramm said. “We knew that going in. None of them knew what it looks like, it feels like.”
Heading into Saturday’s game, the approach was to keep pushing forward and reminding the players they knew what to do.
“Just knowing we could do it one pitch at a time,” Wolf-Schramm said.
Glenn took the 3-2 lead early in the seventh inning, so the coach told them it was exactly where they wanted to be.
“We were going 1-2-3 right into our lineup,” she said. “We do a drill called the two-minute drill. You get two minutes to score as many runs as you can. They group together and start competing against each other …. We just told them this is where we want to be and just told them to compete. And they did.”
Abby Brand opened the bottom of the seventh with a ground out. Bri Orona then reached first on an error at second, followed by Mia Norton on a walk. Madeline Hahn struck out before Ciara Gonzalez took the base on a walk.
“I told Bri that if a passed ball happened then to get in there because that would tie the game up,” Wolf-Schramm said. “When Zoey came up to hit, I just went, ‘Get your barrel in the zone.’ Literally that was like what I was telling myself that’s what she needed to do. If she gets her barrel in there, she can make anything happen.”
Allison was quick to point out the win was a team effort.
“My hit alone wasn’t what won the game,” Allison said. “It was everybody else getting on base and cheering. Just seeing the team together was amazing.”
Hahn pitched the entire game striking out 8 with 9 hits and 3 runs.
“I don’t think any of those kids will ever forget that moment,” Wolf-Schramm said. “It will be a highlight of their high school career.”