Rockford rallies to semis

Homers by Schmitt, Staudt spear-head four-run season-saving seventh

By John Burbridge

sports@charlescitypress.com

ROCKFORD — Down by two and three outs away from having their season ended, the Rockford Warriors played a little longball in their final at-bats in their Class 1A Region 2 Softball Tournament quarterfinal against Colo-Nesco.

And they lived to tell about it with a stunning come-from-behind 5-3 victory over the Royals.

Or at least they are alive for another game, which is the bracket semifinal Friday in Algona where they will face the winner of the Bishop Garrigan-vs-Northwood-Kensett quarterfinal.

Colo-Nesco took a 3-1 lead into the seventh inning before Rockford senior Carrigan Schmitt led off with the solo shot over the left-field fence against Royal starter Rylee Purvis.

Kylie Vollbrecht followed with a double and Teresa Jones reached on an infield hit. One out later, junior Alyssa Staudt — who was recently crowned Miss Floyd County — drove a Purvis pitch over the left-center fence for a three-run homer.

Rockford still needed to contain the Royals in the latter half of the frame. Grace Stalzer hit a one-out double, but Warrior starter Marissa Norby retired the next two batters in order to seal the victory.

The Royals scored first in the second inning with Kassie Robinson’s RBI single to drive home Purvis, who previously doubled.

In the third, Colo-Nesco scored two runs after two outs when Peyton Hall doubled home two runs to make the score 3-0.

In the fifth inning, Hall almost helped extend the lead when she hit a long drive to deep right-center with two Royals on base. But Rockford centerfielder Sarah Parcher got a great jump on the ball and made a leaping catch to rob Hall of extra bases and the Royals of some extra runs.

Rockford finally got on the board in the sixth when Staudt, who led off the inning with a triple, scored on a safety-squeeze bunt by Parcher.