PREP SOFTBALL: Fort wins 2nd straight SVD crown

FORT DEFIANCE — Fort Defiance and Stuarts Draft met Thursday in the Shenandoah District Championship. The Indians, who had already beaten the Cougars twice this season, were set on keeping a goose egg in the L-column. After seven hard fought innings in the blinding sun the Indians met their goal with a 4-2 win.

The Indians didn’t take long to get down to business, scoring a run in the first inning of play when second baseman Brooke Sigrist was brought across home plate by first baseman Payton Hill.

In the second, right fielder Kendra Cash hit a double into right, stole third and eventually made her way home.

Draft left fielder Lindsay Iseli got onto second after hitting a right-field pop fly. After a couple walks and a single by catcher Ariel Christy, she was crossing home. Iseli also had the only other Cougar run, which came in the fifth inning.

The Indians scored their remaining two runs in the fourth, which came back-to-back by third baseman Nicole Heinrich and designated player Lindsay Shifflett.

Cougar coach Michelle Campbell said her team had a little trouble hitting the ball and some errors gave up some runs.

“We played well over all,” Campbell said.

Indian coach Max Hill also commented on the errors made by Draft. Some untimely errors gave his team the points it needed to win the game.

“It was a tight ball game — tighter than the last one. I love it. There are worse things that can happen,” Hill said.

Hill gives his team all the credit for their accomplishments this season.

“They set a goal and knew what they had to do to get there,” he said, “We write all our achievements on the back of the dugout — they didn’t want to be the year that nothing is put up there.”

Fort shortstop Courtney Allman, holding the district champion trophy and being named the district Player of the Year, said there was some pressure on the seniors to do well this game.

“Draft is a tough team. We knew we’d have to play tough D, so we did,” she said.

Hill said he was lucky to have two girls who could pitch. One could always bring up the slack of the other.

For Indian pitcher Jessica Hogle, who had two hits and had no errors from the mound, this was her second time to win districts.

“It feels amazing, especially for us seniors,” she said, “better than the first time. It was a great game. We were ready to win — to take the title.”