Medomak Valley rallied for two runs in the bottom of the 7th inning to beat Camden 7-6 for the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference title Friday afternoon at Oak Hill. Heidi Obuchon was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to send Alanna Vose home for the winning run in the bottom of the 7th inning.
The KVAC title is the first Class B League championship and the third overall for the Lady Panthers. Medomak won Class A KVAC titles in 1995 and 1997.
The Lady Panthers took a 2-0 lead in the 1st and added three runs in the bottom of the 6th to take a 5-0 lead into the 7th and final inning. Camden rattled Medomak in the top of the 7th for six runs to take the lead. The Panthers rallied for the win in the home half of the inning to avenge their only loss of the season to the Windjammers.
Desiree Benner collected the win (8K, 2B, 1HP, 2B), and Mallory Farley took the loss (12H, 5K, 1B, 1HP).
Vanessa Davis hit a lead off single in the 1st inning, Kasey Benner singled and Lindsay Ranquist hit an RBI triple. The Panthers added three runs in the 6th. Pinch hitter Danielle Hunt hit a single, Amanda Hendrickson reached on an error, and Obuchon singled to load up the bases for an RBI fielder’s choice to Davis and two run single to K. Benner.
The strange turn of events in the final inning led to many heart pounding moments on both squads.
Down 5-0, Camden rallied for six runs in the top of the 7th to take the lead. Hayley Buckheit walked and scored on a Sarah Steele triple. Mia Bergman hit a bloop RBI single to left. Shantel Gibson singled, Morgan Farley reached on a fielder’s choice, Amy Hayes hit an RBI single, Olivia Hamalainen walked, and Buckheit smashed a two run single.
Trailing by one in the bottom of the 7th, leadoff batter Ranquist hit a shot to left field for a triple. Vose bunted, but pitcher Mallory Farley held the ball, to prevent Ranquist from scoring from third.
Hunt put the ball in play, with Ranquist scoring on the throw to the plate to tie the game. Taylor Simmons was intentionally walked to load up the bases and create a force at the plate. The strategy backfired, when Mallory Farley beaned Heidi Obuchon, scoring Vose for the winning run.
Hitting for Medomak were K. Benner with 3 singles, Ranquist 2 triples, Davis and Obuchon 2 singles each, and Vose, Hunt and Simmons one hit each. Hitting for Camden were Abby White and Buckheit 2 singles each, Steele a triple and O. Hamalianen and Gibson a single each.
“They just kept coming and coming and didn’t stop. When it rained it poured. I haven’t had an inning like that in a long time,” Medomak coach Richard Vannah said of Camden’s big 7th inning. “I was really happy they found a way to come back and win it.”
“I think he played his cards right, to let Alanna [Vose] on and create a force. I would have done the same thing, to load up the bases and set up a force,” he said.
