Peoria, IL — Link to original article: https://bit.ly/3V0j0ju Mission accomplished! The Carterville Lions are the Class 2A state champions in softball for 2024 after pulling out a hard-fought 1-0 win over North Boone High School Saturday at the Louisville Slugger Sports Complex in Peoria. Sophomore Taryn Ford roped a single to left center with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning to secure the win and forever etch her name into the record books as the player with the game-winning hit. It was also Ford who drew the starting assignment in the circle for Coach Will Capie’s Carterville ballclub. The sophomore righthander tossed 6 1/3 innings of shutout ball, striking out a ridiculous 16 North Boone batters in the process. In a role reversal from Friday’s 1-0 semifinal win over Rockridge, sophomore teammate Caidence Phillips relieved Ford in the top of the seventh and retired both batters she faced to keep the game scoreless and set the table for a dramatic bottom of the seventh. Junior Kendall McCalla led off the frame for the Lions with a walk after fighting back from an 0-2 count. It was McCalla, who moments earlier, made a diving stop of a grounder to her left at shortstop, and from her stomach, tossed to second baseman Karson Caudill for the forceout to end the inning. Leadoff hitter Colbie Bennett executed a sacrifice bunt, advancing McCalla to second. Bennett then reached first safely when the North Boone second baseman dropped a throw from the shortstop. Kennedy Rushing grounded out to short, but the runners moved up to second and third with one out. Amayah Doyle was then intentionally walked for the second time, loading the bases. Maddie Rosenbery hit into a fielder’s choice that resulted in McCalla getting forced out at the plate for the second out, but leaving the bases loaded. That set the stage for Ford’s heroics. On a 2-1 count, Vikings pitcher Cami Carter was forced to throw a strike and Ford pounced on it. Capie was pumped after the big win and said he couldn’ t be prouder of his team. “We’ve fought through adversity all season and weekend long,” he said. “But you know what, we overcame it together, just like they always do. We finally got the one big hit we needed from Taryn.” Some of the adversity Capie was referencing was when the third base umpire — Kim Williams — ruled that McCalla hadn’t returned to third base quickly enough after Carter had gotten the ball back in the circle from the catcher. McCalla was called out with a 3-0 count on Ford and the bases loaded, ending the inning. Capie argued, but to no avail. Fortunately for the Lions, the unusual call at the most unusual of times did not cost them the game. Capie praised Carter’s pitching. “She was spinning the ball well and had good velocity,” he said. “She kept our hitters off balance and made it hard for us.” Capie said he wasn’t surprised that Ford would get the job done in the circle. “Taryn’s amazing. She’s a bulldog out there. We had no hesitation with her toeing the rubber today,” the coach said. Capie added that Phillips didn’t draw the start because she had thrown 150-plus pitches Friday in a high-emotion game with three-time champion, Rockridge. “It’s like we’ve said all year. We have two No. 1 pitchers in Caidence and Taryn. We had a good feeling that Taryn would get the job done,” Capie said. The Lions had eight hits in the game. Caudill led the way with a double and two singles. Doyle collected a double, single and two walks. McCalla, Bennett, and Ford had one hit each. Phillips earned the win, her 21st of the season.