Houston Highlights New Egypt's Win in Extra Innings

New Egypt and Florence were very familiar with each other’s softball program as they could be found at the top of the Burlington County Freedom division. Both teams advanced to the group title game last year with the Lady Warriors from New Egypt winning the championship. At the start of another run at the title, Florence did not let a quick start by the Warriors bother them as they battled back from a three run deficit. But a classic battle between Florence’s Melissa Mehrer and Shannon Houston proved to be the difference for New Egypt. A single up the middle by Houston brought home the winning run to claim the 5-4 extra inning victory.

Softball is a game that starts and sometimes ends with your starting pitcher. If a player is unable to catch up with the blazing fastball that is thrown, the batter is force to always be on the defense when standing up at the plate. Mehrer was that pitcher who recorded 13 strikeouts for Florence who trailed in this game through four innings. Brittany Kennedy accounted for the one of the four runs scored for the Warriors with a home run. Houston would follow that hit with a triple and later score. As the game went on, Florence was able to finally take advantage of their situations that eventually sent this game into extra innings.

Florence went back to the basics during the sixth inning by taking advantage of a few mistakes and then add a couple of key hits and the Flashes were right back into this game. Singles by Amber Tolifero and Jackie Miller tied this game at four apiece. Neither team was able to score in the seventh, but when Brooke Kennedy led the eighth inning off with a single and a sacrifice bunt move the runner into scoring position, Houston got her chance to deliver the big hit that sent home the winning run.