The Clinton Maroons kept their postseason run alive with a gritty 2-1 regional playoff victory over the Maroa-Forsyth Trojans in a tightly contested softball battle.
In a game where runs were difficult to come by, Clinton leaned on a dominant performance from pitcher Aliviyah Haynes and capitalized on key opportunities in the fifth inning to secure the win.
Haynes was outstanding inside the circle from the opening pitch, tossing a complete-game effort while allowing just one run on five hits and striking out four. She worked around traffic throughout the night and repeatedly delivered in pressure situations to keep the Trojans from building momentum.
The Maroons threatened early in the third inning when Campbell Bass and Aliviyah Haynes both singled to put runners aboard, but Maroa-Forsyth escaped the jam to keep the game scoreless.
Meanwhile, Clinton’s defense helped Haynes settle into a rhythm. Avery Smith made several strong plays at shortstop, while the Maroons consistently limited extra opportunities for the Trojans despite a few defensive miscues.
The breakthrough finally came in the top of the fifth inning.
Kinzey Sickles ignited the rally with a line-drive double to right field after Campbell Bass had already reached base. Clinton then took advantage of back-to-back Maroa-Forsyth errors that allowed both Bass and Sickles to cross the plate, giving the Maroons a crucial 2-0 advantage.
Campbell Bass later added another single in the inning to keep the pressure on, finishing the game with two hits. Sickles also turned in a strong offensive performance, recording a double and scoring one of Clinton’s two runs.
Maroa-Forsyth answered in the bottom half of the fifth when Kalli Kahler ripped a run-scoring double to center field to cut the deficit to 2-1. With the tying run in scoring position, Haynes stayed composed and recorded a huge strikeout to end the inning and preserve Clinton’s lead.
The Trojans continued to battle late, putting runners aboard in both the sixth and seventh innings, but the Maroons’ defense held firm. Clinton closed out the game with a pair of groundouts in the seventh before Kinzey Sickles secured the final out on a fly ball to center field, sending the Maroons into celebration mode.
Clinton finished with four hits in the victory. Campbell Bass led the offense by going 2-for-3, while Kinzey Sickles and Aliviyah Haynes each added a hit. Sickles and Bass also accounted for the Maroons’ two runs scored.
With the regional playoff win, Clinton advanced by relying on timely hitting, resilient defense, and a composed performance from Haynes in the circle when it mattered most.
#24 Riley Fentress secures the grounder and makes the throw to #13 Lainey Nichols
#24 Riley Fentress secures the bunt and makes the Throw to #19 Anelise Thompson covering 1st Base
#14 Aliviyah Haynes with the Pitch, Stop, and Throw to #13 Lainey Nichols to secure the Out
#23 Campbell Bass with the Hard Hit Single to Rightfield
#24 Riley Fentress finds herself at 2nd with an RBI off her Hit
#13 Lainey Nichols secures the Out by making the Pop Fly Catch