BURTON—Haleigh Getchell’s bases-loaded walk-off double helped Kirtland beat Berkshire, 4-3, back on April 9.
The sophomore slugger did it again on Thursday as she hit a solo home run to spark a five-run sixth-inning to lead the Hornets to a 7-3 win over the Badgers.
“That’s awesome,” said Kirtland coach Jamie Kamensky. “Playing against Berkshire is always a competitive game. They’re well-coached and disciplined. Going into the postseason, that’s some of the best competition we’re going to see so it gets us ready for the postseason. Every single person from our whole lineup brought it today. That was a good team win.”
Kirtland scored two in the top of the first when Emily Ungrady singled with one down and scored on Elizabeth Vernon’s double. Kaitlyn Mancini singled home Vernon to give the Hornets the early lead.
It remained that way until the bottom of the fifth when the Badgers took advantage of the only two walks Ungrady allowed in the game when Cheyanne Bosse hit a two-run single to tie it.
Getchell hit the first pitch she saw in the sixth over the right field fence to give the Hornets the lead and the momentum.
“That was huge,” Kamensky said. “She’s coming up and picking up her teammates just like we ask. Every little thing that kid is doing, she’s giving 100-percent. I’m loving the energy she’s bringing for us.”
Morgan Faber reached on an error, Julia Camino beat out a bunt and Danielle Davis singled to load the bases with no outs.
Ungrady, who finished the game 3-for-3, and Vernon hit back-to-back doubles to close out the scoring.
Asya Martin singled and scored in the bottom of the seventh but Ungrady limited the Badgers to just five hits and struck out 10 to seal the win.
She dove in the dirt to field a sharply hit ball off Bosse’s bat to end the game.
“She’s something else,” Kamensky said of Ungrady. “She’s special. She’s laying out on the mound and making sure her teammates are constantly involved. She’s becoming the voice and the soul of this program and she brings it every day.”
Vernon finished 2-for-4 with three runs batted in for the Hornets.
Martin finished 2-for-2 with two runs scored for Berkshire.
“She’s really come into her own,” said Berkshire coach Brittany Bakalar of Martin. “Every season, she has been hurt and hasn’t been able to play so this is her first real season as a leader on our squad. It’s her first time in the outfield too because she’s always been a second baseman or infielder. I’ve been impressed with her. She comes to practice and gets extra hits. For me, she’s been fun to watch and to coach.”
Bosse struck out seven but the Kirtland rally in the sixth doomed the Badgers.
“Our girls, little things have been plaguing us all year,” Bakalar said. “It’s always one inning that gets us every time. Obviously, timely hitting wasn’t on our side. Overall, I saw good things from our players, laying out, and things I haven’t seen all season. I’m happy with what I saw.”
