The McIntosh Lady Chiefs are now one victory away from winning the Region 2-AAAA championship.

No. 2 seed McIntosh defeated fourth-seeded Starr’s Mill 2-1, then handed top-seeded Northgate its first region loss of the season, 1-0, Tuesday to advance to the region championship game Thursday at McCurry Park in Fayetteville.

Northgate’s pitching duo of Paige Martin and Kelsey Floyd held McIntosh to three hits in the Lady Chiefs’ second game, but one of those hits was the difference-maker — Holly Houghton’s third-inning RBI double.

That would be all the run support McIntosh ace Morgan Kidd would need. Kidd baffled Northgate’s hitters, striking out 11 and allowing no walks and three hits for the shutout.

Kidd had at least one strikeout in all but the sixth inning, and she struck out at least two batters in all but three innings in the second of back-to-back outings.

Northgate threatened in the seventh — Floyd hit a one-out single — but Kidd induced Liza Dye to pop out to third and struck out Nikki Rainey looking to close the game.

“When Morgan gets tired, she throws harder and harder,” McIntosh coach Joe Gaspierik said. “She pitched a great game.”

Gaspierik feels his team has what it takes to win the region championship.

“We can play with anybody,” Gaspierik said. “We can beat anybody. We already have beaten everybody in the region.”

In the earlier game to see who would face Northgate, Linsey Hearn’s RBI single to right field in the bottom of the fourth inning put McIntosh ahead 1-0 against Starr’s Mill.

Kidd was three outs away from shutting down Starr’s Mill, but Starr’s Mill rallied in the seventh, scoring a run to tie the game.

Heather Walker led off with a double to left field, breaking up Kidd’s no-hitter.

Ashley Clontz followed with a single to right field, placing runners on the corners.

Tiffany Taylor tried to bunt Walker home from third, but Kidd fielded Taylor’s bunt cleanly and fired the ball home to catcher Nicole Fox, who tagged out Walker as she slid home.

Chesley Savage then came to the plate and hit a check-swing grounder that first baseman Erin Justice trapped and threw home, but Clontz beat the throw on a close play at the plate for the tying run.

Kidd was tested again in the next at-bat, snagging Mandi Jones’ comebacker and throwing home to Fox, who blocked the plate and applied the tag to Taylor sliding home.

Kidd struck out Brittany Bomba to conclude the inning.

The bottom half of the inning was just as intense, as McIntosh regained the lead for good on a ball that didn’t even leave the infield.

Kara Wright led off with an infield single, and Fox then hit a fielder’s choice that pitcher Paige Peurifoy fielded, but her late throw to second was not in time to nail the runner.

After Karlie Bureau threw out McIntosh pinch-runner Christine Mobley, Amber Shaw hit a ground ball that second baseman Walker bobbled, allowing Fox to score the go-ahead run.

Kidd struck out 10, hit one batter and gave up two hits and one run in seven innings for the victory. Her first strikeout of the game, on a riseball that Clontz couldn’t touch, was the 800th of her high school career.

In other action, third-seeded Whitewater picked up two victories, defeating Woodward Academy 8-0 and Fayette County 14-2.

Whitney Toler recorded the victory in both games.
She struck out eight and allowed five hits in seven innings for the shutout against Woodward, and she struck out two, walked two and allowed no hits in four innings against Fayette.

Alysa Glaze struck out two, walked one and gave up one run and one hit in an inning of work against Fayette.

Ashley Schwab (3-for-4, one RBI, two runs scored), McKenzie Woody (3-for-4, two RBI, one run scored) and Nikki Montesanti (3-for-3, one RBI, two runs scored) were Whitewater's top hitters against Woodward.

Schwab (3-for-4, three runs scored), Wooody (2-for-4, two RBI, three runs scored), Jamie Saunders (3-for-3, three RBI), Haley Richards (2-for-4, three RBI, two runs scored) and Tess Echols (2-for-4, four RBI, one home run) stood out at the plate against Fayette.

Fayette began the day with a 13-1 victory over Westlake.

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