DIVISION III SOFTBALL: Mustangs stall Lincoln County, move into title game

If familiarity breeds contempt, then the Needles softball team’s Friday matchup with Lincoln County held little surprises.

Facing the Lynx for the sixth time this season, the Mustangs pushed back Lincoln County, 5-3, in the winners’ bracket of the Division III state tournament at The Meadows.

Needles will face White Pine at 10 a.m. Saturday in the Division III state championship game at The Meadows.

“We’ve faced each other so many times that we definitely know each other,” Mustangs coach Sandy Chandler said. “So to try to throw a kink in it or something, it’s difficult. We know each other too well.”

Needles scored a key insurance run on Melanie Merchain’s infield single in the top of the fifth inning to extend the lead to 5-3.

Mustangs starting pitcher Dakota Lillard bounced back after allowing seven runs to White Pine yesterday, giving up only two earned runs on five hits. Lillard, who missed all of last season with a forearm injury, tossed three scoreless innings to close out the win.

“When Dakota’s throwing well, that’s when we’re strongest,” Chandler said. “She was hitting her spots well and kept them off balance all day. She’s back to game shape, and she got crucial strikeouts when we needed them. She’s really stepped up for us here, and this is the right time.”

Andrea Merchain started a first-inning rally for Needles with a single to right field, and later scored on Demi Limon’s two-out homer run.

“They got it in her (Limon) wheelhouse, and that was big for us to start off the game that way,” Chandler said.

Lincoln County’s Chesnee Harding responded with a solo homer over the left-field fence in the bottom of the first to cut the deficit in half.

After two scoreless innings, Lillard supplied an RBI single, and scored on a throwing error to push the lead to 4-1.

The Lynx were able to counter when Chelsea Lloyd doubled home Jaycee Wadsworth and Britten Hafen, closing the gap to 4-3.

Meghan Mann had two hits for Needles.

Chelsea Lloyd finished 2-for-3, and supplied three strikeouts in relief for Lincoln County, which stranded six runners.

In the losers’ bracket final, Bailey Moore spun a five-hitter with 10 strikeouts and no walks, as the Bobcats used a balanced scoring attack to eliminate the Lynx (24-5).

Jane Murdock belted a leadoff homer to start a four-run fifth inning, and supplied an RBI walk as part of a five-run third inning for White Pine.

McKenna Windows had a two-run single in the third, and finished 3-for-4 with a run for the Bobcats, who got two hits apiece from Amanda Allred and Alli Huntington.

Kourtney Gloeckner had two hits, and Aspen Wilkin contributed an RBI double to lead Lincoln County.