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As expected, there was little to separate the Del Norte and Fortuna girls in Crescent City on Wednesday.
The two heavyweights in this year’s Big 5 faced off in what was essentially a championship showdown, and it was the host Warriors who prevailed.
Barely.
In a back-and-forth game that included some big swings in momentum, the Warriors had the final say, breaking a late tie when Khloe Smith scored the winning run in the bottom of the seventh for a walk-off 9-8 win.
The victory lifts the Warriors to 8-1 in conference play with three games remaining, and gives them a slight advantage over the Huskies, who dropped to 8-2 with two games left.
Both schools will be expected to win out.
“It was what we expected from these two teams,” Del Norte head coach Aaron Healy said. “It was a battle.”
The victory leaves the Warriors on the verge of a three-peat of Big 5 championships, and if they can sweep a doubleheader against McKinleyville on Saturday and a single game at Eureka next Wednesday, they will be crowned 2025 Big 5 champs.
Smith, who has been playing at an MVP level all spring, was instrumental in the win, which was the team’s second in three conference matchups against the Huskies.
With the score tied 8-8, the senior shortstop led off the bottom of the seventh inning with a base hit and quickly advanced her way to third on a stolen base and a passed ball.
She would then score on a pick-back to give her team the victory.
“She’s having a phenomenal year,” Healy said of the senior standout, whom he believes is the best shortstop in the H-DNL. “She’s batting over .420 and playing shortstop like she knows how to do it.
“She’s the smoothest shortstop I’ve seen in a long time.”
Smith was also clutch, much like most of her teammates, who always seem to find a way to win when they absolutely have to.
The Huskies, who have been every bit as impressive this season, opened their biggest game of the year strong and led 6-0 early on.
However, the home team would battle back to take a 7-6 lead in the bottom of the third, before the visitors re-took the lead and held a one-run advantage heading into the bottom of the sixth.
But an experienced Warriors team refused to go down easily and they tied things up when freshman Addi Whitford scored on a Carlee Harper base hit to leave the two conference rivals deadlocked again heading into the final inning.
That set the stage for Smith’s late heroics and a victory as sweet as any this team has managed this year.
“They don’t quit,” Healy said of his players. “My team doesn’t quit, They find a way.
“This team never ceases to surprise me, and I’m still trying to figure out how good they are.”
Harper finished 3-for-4, while Smith was 2-for-3 and Whitford reached base three times on a base hit, a walk and a hit-by-pitch.
Bliss Blackburn also was 1-for-2 and laid down an impressive sac bunt to advance Whitford into scoring position on her way to tying the game in the sixth.
Senior Shay Nolan got the win in the circle with another good performance, combining with her defense for three-up-three-down innings in the fifth and seventh as they closed out the game strong.
The Huskies were led by Isabel Sanchez, who finished 3-for-3 and scored a run.
Fortuna’s Mariah Bravo also impressed and was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs, while Faith Helms added a double and three RBIs.
Evalynn Little also made some noise at the plate for the visitors and went 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI, while Olivia Hayes was 2-for-3 with a double.
Just two days after pitching a perfect game at McKinleyville, Sanchez looked sharp in the circle again, allowing three walks and striking out 10.
One of the main differences in the game was the fact the Huskies stranded six runners, while the Warriors found ways to score when they had opportunities, especially when they needed to the most.
“Overall, it was a good performance by everybody, both teams as far as I’m concerned,” Healy said. “We just managed to come out with the win.”
