Top-seeded Sparklight couldn’t get a timely hit and struggled to get the final out of the inning, prolonging rallies in the Park Department Junior League Tournament championship.
PB Realty scored 10 runs with two outs to back a two-hit shut out by pitcher Molly Murphy as the second seed won 15-0 Tuesday at McLane Park.
“All the girls up and down the lineup were putting the ball in play,” PB Realty coach Mike Eason said.
Murphy struck out eight, walked two and hit two batters. She also scored three times along with Abigail Eason and Margaret Crain.
Sparklight, which suffered its only loss of the season, had a runner thrown out at the plate to end the first inning, left the bases loaded in the second and had the first batter of the inning retired in all but one time.
Nakayla Randolph and Madeline Allbritton had the only hits for Sparklight.
“That last out kept hurting us — and errors,” Sparklight coach Blake Allbritton said.
PB Realty scored twice with one out in the first inning then scored six runs with two outs in the second.
Sparklight turned a double play on a soft liner to Randolph at shortstop who threw to second base.
Eason then doubled down the third-base line and Murphy was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Lacey Smith drew a walk to push across a run and Jentry Barrett’s hit to the left side made it 4-0. Mia Stair’s hit to the left side cleared the bases on a throwing error and she later scored on a pitch to the screen for a 8-0 lead.
Sparklight loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the second but Murphy struck out the next two hitters to escape the jam.
“Molly’s a real good pitcher,” Coach Allbritton said. “She’s got a good fastball, good offspeed, so she’s definitely a good pitcher.
“We couldn’t put any hits together.”
PB Realty added four more runs in the third, all with two outs, and consecutive RBI hits in the fourth from Smith and Barrett.
Crain, hitting at the bottom of the lineup, had three hits for PB Realty.
“Timely hitting for us, she hit the ball hard,” Coach Eason said.
Sparklight pitcher Lillie Johnson struck out three and made two more putouts fielding her position.
Without any offense, however, Sparklight couldn’t overcome the rare defensive miscues.
“They played good all season and did a really good job,” Coach Allbritton said, later adding, “Proud of the girls, they had a good season.”