Visiting Simley Scores Three Runs in the Seventh Inning to Knock Off Henry Sibley

The Simley High School fastpitch softball squad got runs when it needed them, while Henry Sibley's could not Thursday. The visiting Spartans scored three times in the top of the seventh inning to best host Henry Sibley 4-1 in Classic Suburban Conference softball at Mendota Heights.

In a contest very different than the first one they played this season (a 10-9 Simley win on April 18), both teams showed off improved pitching and defense. But neither managed much offense until the Spartans started connecting in the final inning.

Sibley has scored just five runs in the last four games.

“I told them we’ve got to hit the ball better,” said Henry Sibley head coach Phil Stohr. “We’ve had two or three games where we’ve scored one run, two runs, one run. That’s not going to get it done in this league, it’s just not. We’ve got to hit better.”

The rest of Sibley’s game was there.

“We’ve come a long way,” Stohr agreed. “We’re better pitching-wise, defensive-wise. And actually we hit the ball better earlier in the season. But the bats have gone dead. We’ve got to get all three things going at the same time. But we’re not going to quit, it’s a great group of kids and we push forward.”

Third baseman Tessa Larsen gave the Warriors a 1-0 lead in the second inning with a two-out RBI double.

Simley answered in the third on Jordan Sheridan’s run-scoring hit to left.

Lilly Haagenson pitched well for Sibley, going 6 1/3 innings and allowing three earned runs.

Simley senior shortstop Brittney Willaert singled to left to open the seventh and pinch hitter Sarah Anderson safely bunted to put runners at first and second with no outs. Junior second baseman Maria Dillon then laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance the runners. That set the stage for junior catcher Rachel Packer, who knocked in two runs with a double to left for a 3-1 Simley lead.

“I think it was an inside pitch and the coach kept telling me to close my front footing because I kept pulling it, so I did that, and then, sure enough, it just kind of worked,” said Packer.

Jordan Sheridan moved Packer to third on a sacrifice fly and Packer scored on a passed ball to make it a 4-1 lead.

Sibley didn’t go quietly in the bottom of the seventh. After a ground out to open the inning, Gabi Cerda hit a hard ball past Simley’s Jenny Willaert at third. Brianna Nussear hit into a fielder’s choice at third. But Sibley’s two base runners were left stranded as the Warriors hit a ground out to Willaert at third and a fly ball to center that Adrianna Guevara tracked down for the final out.

“Big win, we really battled,” said Simley head coach Kelly Darrow. “Our defense has tightened up. You know we’re pretty beat up and tired. We’ve played 12 games in 14 days and we have three games this weekend, so we’re tired."

Simley improved to 3-7 in the league and 5-8 overall.

Henry Sibley is 0-10 in the conference and 3-11 on the season. The Warriors play at No. 2 ranked North St. Paul High School today at 4:15 p.m. in a makeup game.