By Kyle LoJacono
The Pasco softball team’s dreams of a state championship ended the same way it has three of the last four years — with a loss to Harmony.
The Pirates (25-7) hosted the Class 4A regional finals May 3 and played the Longhorns to a 3-3 tie after seven innings, but Harmony took the lead with a run in the ninth to win the contest 4-3.
Pasco senior pitcher Courtney Brandt had a career high 21 strikeouts in the game, working all nine innings. She allowed five hits and three walks in the contest, but only two of the four runs allowed were earned.
“We couldn’t have asked for much more out of Courtney,” said Pasco second-year coach Lisa Herndon. “She did exactly what we needed her to do.”
Harmony cashed in on two Pasco errors to score an unearned run in the top of the ninth. The loss was the Pirates first at home all season.
The Longhorns scored the game’s first run the second inning when Brittany Bruns hit a solo home run.
Pasco got three runs in the fourth, starting with singles by Lizzy Burchfield and Brandt. Sophomore Jordan Lane smacked a double to bring both around to score. Lane later scored when Kaylee Britton reached on an infield error.
The Pirates had a chance to stretch their lead in the fifth inning with bases loaded and no outs. The Longhorns managed to turn a triple play to end the threat, and scored two runs of their own in the sixth to tie the contest.
Emily Pennington and Burchfield each went 2-4 in the game. Amber Caudill and Lane both hit doubles, the only extra base hits for Pasco.
The Pirates have only two seniors on the roster. Brandt started the last five games for the Pirates, going back to the 4A-7 district semifinals. During that span, she has 71 strikeouts. She ends the year with a 16-5 record, 16 complete games and 240 Ks.
Brandt not only led the team in most pitching statistics, but also had a team high .485 batting average, 50 hits, 44 runs, 36 RBI and five home runs.
“We’re going to miss her,” Herndon said.
–All stats as recorded to Maxpreps.com by coaches.
