DeGroot completes Vikings comeback with walk off

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This article was published 05/05/2022 (1400 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Ryan DeGroot struck out to end the Vincent Massey Vikings’ rally … so it seemed.

The Vikings cut an eight-run deficit to four before Neelin Spartans pitcher Siena McMillan breezed a fastball past her in the sixth inning. But an inning later with two outs and the winning run in scoring position, DeGroot cracked a grounder down the first-base line, scoring Kelsey Huibers and Kamryn Cloet for a 10-9 walk-off win in Brandon High School Softball League action at Ashley Neufeld Softball Complex on Thursday.

“In those moments, my heart calms down, I zero in and try my best but know not to be too hard on myself,” said DeGroot, whose calm demeanour changed quickly after the hit. “I just got so excited, so happy about it. I love the game and just love the rush of everything.”

Anyone who left after the fifth inning would have been truly shocked at the final score. It was an absolute defensive battle as Sally Leask threw five perfect innings for Massey (2-0), while McMillan saved her best pitches to escape a few jams for Neelin (0-1).

The Spartans’ defence was sharp early as well. Catcher Danica Black caught Louise Fergusson stealing with a laser to second in the opening frame.

Shortstop Delaney Houlihan made three solid plays for Neelin in the third, including a catch inches from the dirt on the run.

“I haven’t played for two years so it’s nice to get back out,” Houlihan said. “Kind of nerve-racking as it’s our first game but it was fun to get out there and play again. It was nice to make plays and not leave it all to Siena because she had to pitch the whole game.”

Neelin finally got on the scoreboard in the top of the sixth as Ella Werbiski stepped in for Leask and struggled to find the strike zone. She walked in four runs and gave up an RBI single to McMillan before Jordyn Rolling took over in the circle. Cadence Jerry capped the eight-run inning with a two-RBI single.

Massey’s bats woke up, however, as Payton Murray, Ashlyn Whetter and Leask hit triples to help cut the deficit to 8-4.

“All we had to do was just get on the bats, man. Our coach was just telling us to go out there and hit as much as we could,” DeGroot said.

“I always think about ‘what’s important now.’ I never think ‘We have no shot.’ What’s important now? I’m going to go out there and try my best to get a hit. I think everybody on my team has that mindset. We always try to focus on what happens next and how we can get to the end.”

Neelin added a run in the seventh and final inning, then got two quick outs. The Vikings stayed alive thanks to three errors before DeGroot drove in the winning run.

All signs point to Massey and Neelin meeting in the city final in a few weeks. The Spartans have their spot at provincials June 3-4 secured as hosts while the Vikings have to earn theirs through the city league and an interzone qualifier.

For Houlihan, it’s all about peaking in four weeks.

“Everyone kind of felt bad because everyone was making some errors but we know it’s our first game,” Houlihan said. “We’ll get better in practice but everyone did lots of good things. We’re not happy with the outcome but happy to get back into it and have a game to go off of to get better.

“This game basically is going to show us everything we need to work on for the next month, just being able to go and compete, we’re going to try out best to do as good as we can.”

» tfriesen@brandonsun.com

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