The Superior Navy softball team capped off its season by winning the 12U Arrowhead League Gold division championship Thursday, July 18, with a 10-9 extra-inning win over previously undefeated Hermantown Blue.
With Superior trailing by two runs with two outs in the last inning, Jaclyn Samarziya doubled and Eva Peterson followed by an inside-the-park home run to send the game into extra innings.
With the international rules in place (starting the inning with a runner on second base), Hermantown scored in the top of the next inning to take a one-run lead.
In the bottom of the inning, Superior started with a runner at second and Olivia Lundgren hit the first pitch she saw deep into right field and rounded the bases for an inside-the-park, walk-off home run to win the game for the Spartans.
Lilly Martinez pitched a complete game for Superior to pick up the win.
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Peterson finished with three hits, including two inside-the-park home runs; Samarziya had two doubles; Martinez had two hits; and Savanna Hering tripled.
Superior benefited from several good defensive plays from Peterson at third base, Hering at shortstop, Lundgren at second base and a key scoop from Emily Reno at first base.
Superior advanced to the championship game with wins over teams from Cloquet, which had one regular season loss apiece.
In the opening round, Superior defeated Cloquet AJ Landscaping 11-6. Martinez pitched for Superior, allowing six runs on five hits and four walks while striking out six.
Superior pulled away with a four-run fourth inning as Eden Gaulke reached on a bunt single, Brekkyn Warburton was hit by the pitch, and Hering, Samarziya and Martinez had consecutive hits.
Superior finished with 10 hits, three by Samarziya; two apiece by Callie Peterson and Martinez; and one each by Hering, Eva Peterson and Lundgren.
Samantha Youngblood and Reno also recorded RBIs with bases-loaded walks.
In the semifinals, Superior defeated Cloquet Carlton Meat and Groceries 5-4.
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Lundgren was the hero in that game as well with a walk-off single in the bottom of the sixth inning that scored Martinez with the winning run.
Martinez pitched a complete game, allowing seven hits with five strikeouts.
Samarziya, Peterson and Martinez had two hits apiece and Hering had one hit.
Defensively, Samarziya threw out four baserunners from her catcher position in the wins over the Cloquet teams.
Superior Navy is coached by Tony Peterson and Jesse Samarziya.
NOTES: The Arrowhead Fastpitch 12U division consists of 22 teams and breaks the playoffs into Gold, Silver and Bronze divisions based on regular season records. Superior Navy finished the season with a 13-2-2 record.
