“It was insane.”
These were the words Gateway softball coach Chance Siegele used to describe the 53 runs his Olympians and host Overland combined to score on Wednesday. The Trail Blazers would end up winning the three-and-a-half hour game 27-26 off a walk-off double into center field by sophomore third baseman Sydney Martinez in the bottom of the ninth inning.
“I have never seen this many runs scored in a softball game before,” Overland coach Kelly Jones-Wagy said.
The game’s statistics were mind-boggling. Gateway junior Iva Griffiths pitched all nine innings, while her Overland counterpart, junior Annabel Sporel, threw for eight. Gateway junior first baseman and shortstop Sara Alvarado knocked in 12 RBIs.
Overland was up 17-14 in the top of the seventh, but Gateway capitalized on errors and a couple of walks to take an 18-17 lead. The Trail Blazers rallied back and tied the game at 18-all to force extra innings.
Gateway powered to a 21-18 advantage in the top of the eighth, but Overland battled back once again to take the game into the ninth. In the top of the inning, Gateway scored five runs to take a commanding lead.
However in the bottom of the ninth, with two outs and bases loaded, Martinez hit a line-drive double into center field to drive in the winning runs.
“At the end of the day, both teams played a really good game,” Jones-Wagy said.
Both Overland and Gateway have struggled over the years. Overland (1-4) have compiled a record of just 5-56 since 2011, and Gateway (0-6) is on a 19-game losing streak dating back to the beginning of last season.
That said, both coaches said they’re hoping to use the game as a confidence booster.
“They definitely learned a ton yesterday,” Siegele said. “But they had their first taste of almost success, which is good, too.”
