The Monroe Fair Baseball and Softball Tournaments moved to their current home in the summer of 2001.
No girl ever cleared the fences for a home run in the first 24 seasons there.
That changed on Thursday, July 10 when a dramatic blast by Sadie Lusky powered Ida to its first softball title since 2014.
Lusky’s two-run shot highlighted a seven-run fifth inning that powered an 8-4 victory over four-time defending champion South Rockwood.
“She waited on a changeup,” said Ida coach Travis Lusky. She was fooled on the first changeup but was ready for it the next time.”
It was a no-doubt blast that clanged off the bleachers beyond the leftfield fence.
“She was so happy for the team,” Travis Lusky said. “It was a big moment.”
There were plenty of big moments that set up Lusky’s big moment.
Ida trailed 3-1 heading into the bottom of fifth.
“We were hitting the ball, just hitting it right at them,” Lusky said of the first four innings. “We told the girls to be resilient and keep having good at-bats.”
Pinch-hitter Ruthie Burks started the uprising with a solid single to right field.
“It’s tough to come in after not playing the first four innings,” Lusky said. “I was confident in her. She’s been putting the bat on the ball a lot.”
Ella Derian, Quinn Parker and Reese Parker followed with doubles to give Ida a 4-3 lead.
Lusky’s blast pushed the Ida advantage to 6-3. Singles by Elsie Burhart and Tinley Prewitt helped tack on two more runs before the inning ended.
Derian and Reece Parker finished with two hits each while Quinn Parker, Reece Park and Lusky drove in two runs apiece. Logan Everett tossed the first three innings for Ida, then Lusky came on for the final three frames.
Ida had been in the finals in two of the past three seasons, falling to South Rockwood each time.
“We finally got it done,” Lusky said.
The game flipped the script of last year’s title game when Ida was leading until South Rockwood put together an eight-run inning.
“They wouldn’t stop hitting in that fifth inning,” South Rockwood coach Steve Drummond said. “Everyone was pounding on the ball.”
Drummond is proud of what his community accomplished over the past four summers.
“It’s been a lot of different girls through the years,” he said. “We’ve had a lot of younger sisters of girls who played for us. I am proud of the tradition. They will be hungry for next year.”
Piper Cadogen hit two inside-the-park home runs for South Rockwood in the finals and also logged a pair of hits during a 12-1 victory over Erie Mason in the semifinals earlier Thursday.
Savannah Farner pitched well for Drummond’s team.
Riley Brighton went 2-for-2 and scored the lone run for Mason.
The 65th annual baseball tournament begins on Sunday, July 13 with a five -game schedule beginning at 9:30 a.m.
This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Lusky’s home run powers Ida to victory of Fair Softball finals
Reporting by Niles Kruger, The Monroe News / The Monroe News
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