Darren Kinnard/River Radio Sports Central
PEORIA — You couldn’t really blame the North Boone Vikings if they never wanted to see Carterville’s Taryn Ford again. It wouldn’t be personal, they’re probably just tired of seeing her inflict damage on their softball team.
Last year, Ford struck out 16 and then delivered a walk off RBI single in the bottom of the seventh to give the Lady Lions a 1-0 win over the Vikings for the 2A State Championship.
The two teams met again in Peoria Friday, this time in the semifinals. The second meeting started much like the first ended–with Ford delivering a clutch hit, this time a two-run first inning double that put Carterville on the right track and on the way to a 5-1 win.
Caidence Phillips made those two early runs stand, tossing a complete game two-hitter. North Boone got both of those hits and their only run in the second inning. Phillips then retired the final 16 batters she faced.
Not that it was needed, but Carterville added some insurance tallies. Kendall McCalla’s ground rule double in the fourth drove in one run. Ford knocked in another with a fielder’s choice to score her sister, Emi, in the fifth. Lainey Workman added a two-out RBI single later in the fifth for the game’s final run.
Carterville improves to 29-4 and will now face 36-2 Beecher in the title game Saturday afternoon at 4:30. The Bobcats beat Auburn 4-2 in the other semifinal.
