Decatur softball squad wins regional title in extra innings

By Lisa Capitelli Managing Editor

(May 19, 2023) Last year the Stephen Decatur softball team captured its first regional title since 1991, and now, the Lady Seahawks are back-to-back champions. But, it wasn’t easy.

It was a back-and-forth battle with the Crofton Cardinals, but the topseeded Lady Seahawks prevailed, 43, in extra innings on Wednesday in Berlin.

“I don’t even know where to begin. That’s a heck of a team first of all. They won 12 in a row,” said Decatur Coach Scott Kurtz. “They put us in a position early that we really hadn’t been in much. We didn’t touch a ball until a foul ball in the third inning. We just couldn’t get a bat on the ball.

“We had to change up the strategy a bit and just try to get base runners anyway possible,” he continued. “We talked about bunting but then the way that they were crashing the bunts we recognized that we had to push bunt, which means just basically push it past the third and the first basemen into the gaps, and these girls executed almost to perfection exactly what I asked them to do.”

Third-seeded Crofton put one run on the board in the first inning. After three scoreless innings Decatur tallied two runs in the bottom of the fifth.

The Cardinals took a 3-2 lead in the top of the sixth. The Seahawks tied it up, 3-3, in the bottom of the inning when junior Kiara Taylor hit a solo home run.

Tied at three at the end of seven, the game went into extra innings.

The last player out for each team starts on second base. Neither was able to score in the eighth.

In the bottom of the ninth, sophomore Madison McGinnis’ bunt went over the Crofton pitcher’s head and sophomore Ava Snelsire was able to score from third base.

“We used those bunts to keep ourselves alive and then when we could have went down, Kiara Taylor hits a bomb to left field and ties it up,” Kurtz said. “That saved us. We’re not playing extras if she doesn’t do that. I just can’t get over the plays girls on both teams made in those last extra innings.”

Decatur tallied seven hits in the game.

McGinnis, Taylor and senior Sarah Smith had two hits and one RBI each. Freshman Madison Donoway had one hit.

McGinnis threw all nine innings. She struck out 10, walked two and gave up seven hits.

“They work their butts off, they play together, they’re doing it for each other and I couldn’t be prouder of them,” Kurtz said.

Decatur advanced to the 3A South

See SEAHAWKS Page 55