Prep softball: Hailey Larsen’s tie-breaking homer powers Ottawa past Sycamore

SYCAMORE — The pitchers’ duel the first time Ottawa and Sycamore met this season was replaced by a home run derby Friday, but the end result was the same – a two-run win for Ottawa.

Hailey Larsen had the key homer, a two-run blast in a tied game in the top of the sixth, in the Pirates’ 8-6 Interstate 8 Conference win

“It was really big,” Larsen said. “It helped us a lot and kept us in a good spot for the home run [by Sycamore’s Tia Durst in the seventh] after.”

With the game tied at 5-5, Ottawa’s Avery Leigh started the sixth with a single. Larsen followed with her bomb to center field after trying to bunt on the first pitch she saw.

The Pirates (12-5, 6-1) wouldn’t trail again.

“We were trying to decide whether we wanted to sac bunt, get that runner into scoring position,” Ottawa coach Adam Lewis said. “But we felt like she was swinging the bat well too. It was nice, we took the pitch off, she made the decision for us.”

“It was kind of a team affair, I would say.”

—  Adam Lewis, Ottawa softball coach

Ottawa manufactured a run in the top of the seventh to stretch the lead to 8-5, with Peyten Brysen singling home Aubrey Sullivan.

Lewis said that run was big, allowing starter McKenzie Oslanzi to attack the middle of the Sycamore lineup in the seventh. While Durst hit a deep blast to right-center field, the middle of the lineup for the Spartans (13-4, 3-4) couldn’t get the ball out of the infield.

All six runs were earned off of Oslanzi, who allowed eight hits and struck out 12. In a game earlier this month against the Spartans, she pitched a three-hit shutout in a 2-0 Ottawa win.

“I thought the biggest thing was going through the middle of their order to get the last two outs we needed,” Lewis said. “She buckled down and made a pitch when she needed to make a pitch.”

Durst and leadoff hitter Addie McLaughlin provided most of the Sycamore offense. McLaughlin walked in the first and singled in the third, stole second both times, then scored on hits by Durst - who was a triple shy of the cycle.

With the game tied at 2-2 in the top of the fourth, the Pirates scored three runs and chased started Bella Jacobs from the game. Larsen had an RBI double as part of her 3 for 4, three-run, three-RBI performance that included two doubles and the home run. Oslanzi also drove in a run in the inning.

But the Spartans tied things back up in the top of the fourth. McLaughlin again singled - she finished 2 for 3 and scored three times - then after Oslanzi got Durst for the first time, Kairi Lantz homered to right-center field. Brooklyn Snodgrass doubled afterward then scored on a single by Faith Heil.

“You easily could have rolled over on this one,” Sycamore coach Jill Carpenter said. “Nice to take the lead there in the beginning. I thought Bella hung in there through a couple of jams and Addison [Dierschow] held her own for the most part. There’s a few pitches I think we wish we had back and a few plays, we make those plays and it’s a different story.”

McLaughlin and Durst combined for six of the eight hits for Sycamore.

“Addie and Tia did their job all day,” Carpenter said. “They’re a fun duo to watch together and when we get more people participating it’s more fun.”

Ryleigh Stehl had two hits for the Pirates, as did Maura Condon.

“It was kind of a team affair, I would say,” Lewis said. “Kenzie pitched well in the circle and I thought at the plate we drove the ball hard when we needed to but we also small balled and moved runners when we needed to and in the end I think that’s what allowed us to come away.”

Carpenter said she was pleased to see the offensive improvement from the first time around against Oslanzi.

“We’re going to struggle sometimes against that elite pitching. That’s why they’re elite,” Carpenter said. “But that’s the individual challenge in the team game out there. It’s you versus the pitcher. What are you going to do out there? To see us improve as much as we did from this game to the other game, I’ll take it.”