By ALEX SPONSELLER

The second-seeded Toll Gate softball team fell to host Mt. Hope in the Division II losers bracket finals by a score of 6-5.

After falling 10-9 in the previous game in an extra-inning thriller to Prout, the Titans had one last opportunity to punch their ticket to the championship game. Although the Titans held a lead heading into the bottom of the seventh inning, the Huskies would rally for three runs to get the walk off win.

The two teams were scoreless through the first three innings but Mt. Hope would score a run in the fourth to take a 1-0 lead. Toll Gate would respond when Julia Krause hit a grand slam in the sixth inning to give the Titans the 4-1 advantage.

“That was huge, that was a momentum changer right there. Julia Krause has stepped up for us on the mound and her intensity level, she wanted that game and she brought the team up with her. That was a momentum changer for us which we needed,” said Toll Gate coach Shana Willis.

Delaney Wilson would also tack on another run to make it 5-1.

The Huskies added a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh before scoring three runs in the bottom half to earn the win. Prout would go on to beat the Huskies on Sunday to claim the championship.

The Titans were bit by the injury bug late in the season and saw starting ace Emma Harrold miss the final two weeks in the circle. Katie Motta, Krause and Wilson split pitching duties against Mt. Hope and were key in keeping the Titans in the playoff race.

“We had to scrape together as a team to fill that spot which was a pretty big spot to fill considering (Harrold) had been so dominant for us all year. The girls did a great job of filling that role, we are still a great hitting team, so that’s what we had to do. We had to score runs to get to where we are. We almost had it,” said Willis after the loss.

The Titans will return nearly their entire roster next year, only graduating three seniors. Despite the loss, Willis was thrilled with her team’s progression and expects to make another deep run in 2023.

“We had a good run last year, lost a few seniors, and had an even deeper run this year. They got a taste of it and came into this year wanting to continue that trend. We were one of the dominant teams on the south side this year, we finished in second place which is a good place to finish,” Willis said. “I think these girls will have a good shot next year.”