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Battle of the unbeatens
RH softball 1
Richmond Hill's Adriana Garrett lays down a bunt in the third inning against Effingham at home Monday night. - photo by Ted O'Neil

The Richmond Hill softball team got a step closer to securing the top seed in the Region 2-AAAAAA tournament with a 4-2 win at home against Effingham Monday night.

Both teams were undefeated entering the game. The Wildcats improve to 9-0 in the region, 13-8 overall. The Rebels are now 6-1 in the region and 11-6 overall.

“Effingham has always been very competitive and we’ve built that same tradition over the last few years,” Richmond Hill Coach Angie Hummeldorf said. “We knew this was going to be a tough game.”

The race for the No. 1 seed, however, is far from over. Richmond Hill travels to Effingham Wednesday, and the two teams will meet again Thursday at home. Richmond Hill’s final region game is at home Friday at 6 p.m. against Brunswick. The Rebels, meanwhile, have three games next week against Bradwell Institute to close out region play. The Tigers are winless in the region, and Richmond Hill mercied Bradwell three times earlier in the season. The Wildcats defeated Brunswick twice already.

Trailing 2-1 Monday, Richmond Hill scored four times in the bottom of the third on one hit and heads-up base running.

Richmond Hill’s rally started when Adriana Garrett, who picked up the win on the mound, beat out a bunt. She advanced to third when Cheznie Schuman reached first on an overthrow, then scored on a wild pitch to tie the game at 2-2. Schuman advanced to third on the play, and the Wildcats had runners on the corners after Hannah Fitzgerald drew a walk.

Maggie Hunter, pinch-running for Fitzgerald, slowly jogged to second base on a steal, drawing a throw, which allowed Schuman to score and giving Richmond Hill a 3-2 lead. Hunter advanced to third on the throw home, then scored on a sacrifice fly by Madelyn Gorsuch for the 4-2 lead.

“The girls did everything we asked them to do,” Hummeldorf said. “Laying down a bunt, taking the extra base. Usually we rely on timely hitting, but tonight we won with small ball.”

Effingham threatened in the top of the fourth, loading the bases with two outs, but could not score, and again in the top of the seventh when the Rebels had runners on first and third but failed to score.

“You have to take advantage of the opportunities against a team like that and we did,” Hummeldorf said.