'Hit of her life' McPherson homer lifts Edgewood softball to sectional title over OV

SPENCER — The 3-1 pitch split the middle of the plate, and Edgewood batter Olivia McPherson didn’t so much as flinch as the umpire called a strike.

With a full count and a runner on second, the left-handed junior did not let the ball go by again. Instead, she drove the next pitch over the fence in right for a two-run home run to give the Mustangs a fourth-inning lead they would not relinquish en route to a 3-2 victory over host Owen Valley in a 3A softball sectional championship game Wednesday night.

Edgewood coach Mick Hammett called it “the hit of her life.” McPherson was a bit more demur.

“It came in a clutch moment,” she said. “I knew I couldn’t let my team down, and I knew I wasn’t ready for the season to be over — I just needed a good hit.

“My teammates, especially Madi Bland, have always told me I have an eye for inside pitches, so I was hoping to get that inside pitch, one I could drive.”

That swing stole the momentum from Owen Valley, which had seized the lead with two runs in the top of the third. Taylor York tried a sacrifice bunt with a runner on second, and a bad throw allowed the run to score. York advanced to second on a walk to Kalyn Greene and scored on Taylor Monroe’s RBI single. That allowed the Patriots to overcome Madi Bland’s first-inning RBI double for Edgewood.

All of those runs were precious in a contest that saw five combined double plays as both teams flashed the leather.

“We turned a trio of double plays, and Taylor York made a fantastic catch in center field like she does once or twice a week it seems like,” OV coach Brian Greene said. “We gave ourselves a chance.”

Ally Bland limited the Patriots’ opportunities, finding her stride with three straight strikeouts to end the top of the fourth after a leadoff double from Andi Burkhart.

McPherson’s jolt gave her an additional boost.

“That was insane,” Bland said. “She absolutely crushed it. For someone who doesn’t always do that, it was wild. That hit lifted us up and carried us through the game.”

Bland finishes it off for Edgewood

Bland got a strikeout, gave up a single and induced a double play in the fifth, then recorded a 1-2-3 sixth against the heart of the OV lineup.

McPherson nearly extended the Mustang advantage in the bottom of the sixth, getting robbed of a base hit on a diving catch by York with two on and nobody out. A double play followed to keep it a one-run game going to the seventh, but close games are nothing new for Edgewood (22-8).

“We have won a lot of those games, although I’m not a big fan of them,” McPherson said. “I’d rather have a five-inning, 15-0 game, but we do expect to win — always.”

Bland, who gave up one earned run on five hits and a walk while striking out seven, was up to the challenge.

“All my teammates picked me up and tried to calm me down, reminded me to take deep breaths,” the sophomore hurler said. “The parents even tell me to slow down and find my rhythm. Most of the time I tune a lot of them out, but some people I can pick out and it helps a lot just knowing everyone is behind me and believes in me.”

And she believes in her defense.

“My defense has been incredible the past three days, and I’ve definitely needed it because all these teams have seen me before,” Bland said. “For them to play at that elite level, it allowed me to trust my stuff and not be afraid to let the other team hit.”

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Tough ending for Patriots

Fittingly, a ground ball to second baseman Addison Yearby for the final out proved that true as Edgewood celebrated a second straight sectional championship.

“I’m proud of our team,” McPherson said. “We aren’t done yet.”

The Mustangs will host Tri-West (25-6) in a regional rematch on Tuesday, while the Patriots (14-7) swallow a bitter pill.

“That’s a really good team, and we absolutely take our hats off to them,” Greene said. “Our seniors have been with me a long time, so it hurts a little more because they are really good players and really good kids. They’ve changed the direction of our program. The expectation now is we compete with teams like Edgewood.”

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: McPherson homer lifts Edgewood softball to sectional title over OV