Such was the case last Wednesday when the No. 2 ranked Lady Hawks defeated No. 5 North Gwinnett in a region matchup.
With an automatic berth in the sectionals and the top seeding for the region 7-AAAAA playoffs on the line, Mill Creek came from behind to beat the Lady Bulldogs 6-4.
Even after trailing by as much as three runs, Mill Creek head coach Kelly Murdock said she was never worried about the outcome.
“I felt like if we stuck to the plan, our defense would start to gel and we would score some runs,” she said.
Score runs they did.
In the bottom of the fourth, the Lady Hawks began to come alive.
With runners on second and third, Cynthia Parkhurst batted in Devin Dossman on a high fly ball to center field. Hannah Beth Baker followed with a single to send Chandler Griffin across the plate and close the score to 3-4.
After getting three quick outs against North Gwinnett in the top of the fifth, Mill Creek came out swinging.
Lauren Stimis and Amberlie Saxton singled to set the stage for a comeback.
Then it was Hannah Graham’s turn.
Graham doubled, knocking in the tying and go-ahead run.
According to Graham, it was retribution.
“Right before that, we were in the field and a foul ball hit my car,” she said. “It really set me off. That car’s name is Lady and it’s a Bug and it’s my pride and joy. It hit it and I was pumped up and ready to go. Even before we hit, we said ‘This one’s for Lady’.”
Whatever the motivation, the results were just what the Lady Hawks needed to secure a victory over a tough North Gwinnett team. Mill Creek would add another run in the sixth to end the game on top by a score of 6-4.
Murdock said her team can be relentless in their pursuit of victory.
“That’s one of the goals – to be relentless, to not quit no matter what the situation. That’s what they did,” she said.
Graham, Parkhurst, Dossman, Saxton and Hannah Beth Baker each drove in runs for the Hawks. Morgan Bullock got the win, allowing only one earned run.
Bullock said she was overwhelmed by the win.
“I’m just really excited and really proud of my team,” she said.
Bullock said the win was a relief after struggling against North Gwinnett early in the game. With the playoffs approaching, Bullock said her main goal will be to avoid any more close games.
“I’m going to go in with the mentality of shutting them down no matter what, no matter who it is,” she said.
With the win, the Lady Hawks will get a bye for the first few rounds of the playoffs.
Murdock said her goal over the next week and a half is to get her team healthy.
“Our number one goal is to rehab, to get healthy,” she said. “We’re nursing some definite injuries. After that, just [work on] simple-quality at bats and nice, easy defense.”
Heavy Hitters
While the North Gwinnett win may have been the most important of the week, it was far from the largest margin of victory.
In what could only be called a slugfest, Mill Creek destroyed region opponent Chattahoochee 15-0 last Tuesday.
Every batter for the Lady Hawks scored during the mercy rule shortened game. The Lady Cougars (5-13, 1-6) lasted only three innings against number two ranked Mill Creek.
Cynthia Parkhurst, Chandler Griffin, Amberlie Saxton, Morgan Bullock and Karlee Beggs each had two hits. Devin Dossman was 3-for-3 with an RBI and a run.
Raiders Routed
Mill Creek (20-4, 9-0) wrapped up regular season region play with a 7-1 victory over North Forsyth on Thursday.
Lauren Kaczynski was the winning pitcher, giving up no earned runs and five hits.
Cynthia Parkhurst was 3-for-3 with a double and two RBIs and Kaitlin Stringer went 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Hannah Baker finished the night 2-for-4 with a run for Mill Creek (20-4).
Have Mercy
Yet another team had reason to be grateful for the mercy rule as Mill Creek shut out Grayson 8-0 in five innings on Saturday.
Dossman had a triple, an RBI and three runs. Graham and Parkhurst each added a hit and a RBI.
Bullock picked up another win at the mound striking out ten in four innings. Kaczynski closed for the Lady Hawks pitching a perfect final inning.
Up Next
As the top-seeded team in 7-AAAAA, Mill Creek will have a region playoff bye until October 7. The region winner will be determined on October 9.
