SHELBYVILLE, IL. — Last week, Cinnae Martin hit a walk-off home run for the Shelbyville Lady Rams  to beat Warrensburg. On Tuesday, it was Shannon Boone's turn, as she led off the bottom of the 7th by launching her own walk-off blast past the fence for the 11-10 victory over St. Anthony.

Abbie Watton took the hill and struggled to hit the corners. That meant anything down the middle, not at Watton’s top speed in order to have more control, was going to be tagged by the capable St. Anthony hitters. The Rams matched the early run production of the Bulldogs, but still had some trouble with timing on the St. Anthony’s pitches as she wasn’t high in velocity.

Those factors made the game a close one. Both teams stroked 14 hits and committed one error. Shelby was up 10-9 in the top of the 6th, when Bushur launched a home run over the left field fence to knot the game, 10-10.

Watton, who hung in the game for the whole enchilada, came right back and threw a strikeout, her second of the inning and just her fourth of the game, to bring the Rams to the plate.

With two outs, Hannah Dudley singled to put the lead run on. But she was stranded and the game went to the 7th.

Grace Moll, who did a great job scooping throws at 1st base throughout the game, went to her left and picked up a grounder and made the unassisted play for the 1st Bulldog out.

The next batter hit a ball to Watton’s right off her glove. It rolled to 2nd baseman Dudley and she scooped it and made the throw to 1st for the second out. The next batter hit a routine fly ball to left and Whitney Fox squeezed it. The Rams came to the plate in the bottom of the 7th needing a run to escape with the win. Shannon Boone came to the batters box and Grace Moll was on deck, a powerful 1-2 punch capable of getting that run.

Boone received two balls and the next pitch had to get across the plate. Schuette threw the ball for what would have been a strike, but Boone jumped on it. She drove it high and deep and all the left fielder could do was go to the fence and watch helplessly as it cleared for the lead-off, walk-off home run for the win, 11-10.     

The game started with Watton ringing up the first batter, but then a single, a triple, and a ground out gave St. Anthony a 2-0 lead right out of the box. The Rams struck back in their half.

After a fly out, Taylor Rhodes singled. After another fly out, Moll singled and Rhodes made it all the way to 3rd. Moll made to 2nd on the throw to 3rd. Watton followed with a 2-run single. Ashley Henne came in to run for Watton. Katelyn Coleman walked. Cinnae Martin hit a slow, high chopper to the left side of the diamond and was able to beat it out at 1st. The bases were loaded for Whitney Fox, who drew a walk to force in a run, as the Rams took the 3-2 lead.  

Watton got the first two Bulldogs to make outs in the 2nd, a fly out and a comeback to the mound. Then a walk, a single, another walk loaded the bases. An error on a fly ball to center field allowed three runs to score, 5-3 St. Anthony. The Bulldogs weren’t done.

Three Dawgs in a row hit singles, loading the bases again and driving in one run for a 6-3 lead. A walk forced in another run and an error at short allowed a run to score. The batter got caught in a rundown between 2nd and 3rd and while five Rams worked the rundown, another run scored, 9-3 St. A.

The Rams had their work cut out for them and they got to it. With one out, Rhodes blasted a ball to center and it was muffed. Boone smacked a double, scoring Rhodes. Moll was hit by a pitch and Watton was walked to load the bases. Katelyn Coleman then slapped a 2-run single, cutting the deficit to 9-6.

With two men on, Martin bunted a ball down the 3rd base line. St. Anthony claimed the ball hit her, but it wasn’t called and she was safe. With the bases loaded, Fox walked to force in a run again. A line-drive to the second baseman made just the second out of the inning. Dudley drew a walk and forced in another run, 9-8 St. Anthony.

The first two batters in the Dawg 3rd hit singles. Then the Rams got a break. The next batter lined-out to Rhodes at short as she stretched up and snared the ball. She threw to 2nd and doubled up the lead runner. Dudley threw out the next batter to end the at bat. Boone singled in the 3rd, but three straight fly balls thwarted that start.

In the 4th Moll scooped a ball at 1st from short to get a put out. Coleman squeezed a pop up at 3rd. After consecutive singles and a walk to load the bases again, Watton rang up the next batter to get out of another jam. Shelby couldn’t score in the 4th either, despite Schultz being hit by a pitch.

In the 5th, Moll scooped another low throw at 1st for the out. The next batter singled. After a pop out to short, the next batter got an infield hit, beating out a throw to 1st. However, Moll was on the ball. The runner at 2nd tried to go on to 3rd. Moll had no hesitation after the batter was called safe at 1st. She threw a strike to Coleman at 3rd base and Coleman put on the tag to end the Dawg 5th.

The Rams were still down one in the bottom of the 5th. After a ground out, Rhodes singled, but was out on a fielder’s choice by Boone. Moll came through with a 2-out single, then Watton singled to center, driving in Boone and tying the score, 9-9. Henne was on to run for Watton. Coleman singled to left and Moll raced all the way from 2nd to home for the go ahead run, 10-9. Their lead stood up until Bushur’s 2-out homer in the 6th.  

Shelbyville (24-5, 9-1 Okaw) was to play a make-up game with Meridian on Wednesday. If the Rams were to win they would claim the conference championship for the second year in a row. The Rams will travel to non-conference Taylorville on Thursday, then returns home for a Friday game with St. Teresa, that does not count in the conference standings.

Tuesday

Shelbyville 11, St. Anthony 10

St. A    270 001 0--10-14-1

Shelby  350 020 1--11-14-1

Ram stats: Dudley 1-for-4, BB, RBI; Rhodes 2-for-5, ROE, FC, 2 runs; Boone 3-for-5, 2B, FC, SB, HR, 3 runs, 2 RBI; Moll 2-for-3, HBP, 3 runs; Watton 2-for-3, BB, 2 runs, 3 RBIs; Coleman 2-for-3, BB, 2B, run, 3 RBIs; Martin 2-for-4; Fox 0-for-2, 2 BBs, 2 RBIs; Schultz 0-for-3, HBP. Pitching (W) Watton 7 IP, 10 runs, 14 hits, 4 BBs, 4 Ks.

St A stats: Walsh 1-for-4, BB, run; McHugh 2-for-4, 3B, 2 runs, 3 RBIs; Gray 3-for-4, 3B, 2 runs, RBI; Schuette 1-for-4, run; Schuette 2-for-4, run; Bushure 2-for-3, BB, HR, run, RBI; Woltman 0-for-3, ROE, BB; McLane 1-for-3, BB; Jansen 2-for-4, run. Pitching (L) Schuette 7 IP, 11 runs, 14 hits, 5 BBs, 2 HBP, 0 Ks.