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Ozone Softball Places 3rd At Gardner Tourney
Osawatomie Players Put Finishing Touches On Amazing Comeback
By David Wolman, davidwolman@miconews.com
An improbable comeback was part of the Ozone 18-and-under softball team’s latest streak — and it was two players from Osawatomie that put the finishing touches on it.
After defeating the Topeka Flyers, 4-1, and Kansas City Attack, 2-0, to open play in the June 21 and 22 Gardner tournament, the Ozone dug themselves a deep hole in their third game.
In their final game on June 21, they trailed the Kansas City Heat 11-2. But they then closed to within 12-8 entering the final inning. Janzen Maring of Osawatomie hit a three-run inside-the-park home run to tie the game at 12. Jessie French then scored the winning run later in the inning for a 13-12 win over the Heat.
Jordan Talley, also of Osawatomie, played a big part in the comeback, hitting two singles and a double.
To open play June 22, the Ozone pitched a 3-0 shutout of the Omaha (Neb.) Diamonds. But their quest for another tournament title fell short as the Ozone lost to Girard 7-3 in a semifinal game. They rebounded in their final game of the tournament, defeating the Kansas City Fire 9-1, placing third out of 12 teams.
Two days later, the Ozone had to rally from a couple of early three-run deficits at Lone Elm Park in Olathe.
In their first game June 24, the Ozone saw the T-Birds score three runs in the third for a 3-0 lead. But the Ozone would chip away at the lead.
French got the Ozone on the board with a bloop single in the third. Two innings later, after a pair of one-out walks, Talley cut the deficit to 3-2 with a sacrifice fly. French followed with her second RBI single in as many as at bats to tie the game at 3.
An error kept the bottom of the sixth alive, and the Ozone made the T-Birds pay for the miscue as Kaleigh Malone of Anderson County High School hit the game-ending RBI double for a 4-3 Ozone win.
In their second game on the night, the Ozone fell behind early, rallied and got to within one run of the T-Bones. But the T-Bones teed off on Ozone pitching in the fifth, scoring 10 times in the inning, rallying for a 13-4 win.
After seeing the T-Bones put together a three-run second, the Ozone staged a four-run fourth to take a 4-3 lead.
Malone led off the inning with an infield single. Two batters later, Talley added a one-out single. Malone and Talley then came around to score on a two-run single by Molly Miller of Olathe South, bringing the Ozone to 3-2.
Consecutive throwing errors kept the inning alive, and the Ozone made the T-Bones pay as the second miscue allowed the Ozone to score two runs and take a 4-3 lead.
But the T-Bones proceeded to take the lead for good in the fifth.
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After defeating the Topeka Flyers, 4-1, and Kansas City Attack, 2-0, to open play in the June 21 and 22 Gardner tournament, the Ozone dug themselves a deep hole in their third game.
In their final game on June 21, they trailed the Kansas City Heat 11-2. But they then closed to within 12-8 entering the final inning. Janzen Maring of Osawatomie hit a three-run inside-the-park home run to tie the game at 12. Jessie French then scored the winning run later in the inning for a 13-12 win over the Heat.
Jordan Talley, also of Osawatomie, played a big part in the comeback, hitting two singles and a double.
To open play June 22, the Ozone pitched a 3-0 shutout of the Omaha (Neb.) Diamonds. But their quest for another tournament title fell short as the Ozone lost to Girard 7-3 in a semifinal game. They rebounded in their final game of the tournament, defeating the Kansas City Fire 9-1, placing third out of 12 teams.
Two days later, the Ozone had to rally from a couple of early three-run deficits at Lone Elm Park in Olathe.
In their first game June 24, the Ozone saw the T-Birds score three runs in the third for a 3-0 lead. But the Ozone would chip away at the lead.
French got the Ozone on the board with a bloop single in the third. Two innings later, after a pair of one-out walks, Talley cut the deficit to 3-2 with a sacrifice fly. French followed with her second RBI single in as many as at bats to tie the game at 3.
An error kept the bottom of the sixth alive, and the Ozone made the T-Birds pay for the miscue as Kaleigh Malone of Anderson County High School hit the game-ending RBI double for a 4-3 Ozone win.
In their second game on the night, the Ozone fell behind early, rallied and got to within one run of the T-Bones. But the T-Bones teed off on Ozone pitching in the fifth, scoring 10 times in the inning, rallying for a 13-4 win.
After seeing the T-Bones put together a three-run second, the Ozone staged a four-run fourth to take a 4-3 lead.
Malone led off the inning with an infield single. Two batters later, Talley added a one-out single. Malone and Talley then came around to score on a two-run single by Molly Miller of Olathe South, bringing the Ozone to 3-2.
Consecutive throwing errors kept the inning alive, and the Ozone made the T-Bones pay as the second miscue allowed the Ozone to score two runs and take a 4-3 lead.
But the T-Bones proceeded to take the lead for good in the fifth.