By Rick Pedone
Sports Editor

It took Harmony one extra inning to earn the Orange Belt Conference softball championship Tuesday at Coffey Field.

Molly Baker’s double was the key hit in the Lady Longhorns’ 1-0, eight-inning win over Osceola, 10-5.

Harmony, 10-1, finished with a perfect 6-0 conference record and reclaimed the championship that Osceola won last season.

Pitcher Aleishia Ocasio walked with one out the top of the eighth inning and went to third when Baker doubled to right field.

After Lauren Harris drew a walk to load the bases, Dakota McCoy’s sacrifice fly to right brought in Ocasio with the game-winning run.

Ocasio, who scattered five hits over eight innings, set down the Kowgirls in the bottom of the eighth with help from catcher Madison Nichols, who for the second time in two innings, cut down an Osceola base runner. She caught freshmen speedster Kali Jones, who singled with two outs, trying to steal second for the final out.

Harmony Coach Mike Clark said that he told his good friend, Osceola Coach George Coffey, before the game that he didn’t know what to expect since his team has been idle for the past two weeks. Last Friday’s game against Oak Ridge was rained out.

“It definitely was a concern, but we could have been off a month and our kids would have been ready to play because of the opponent. They always get fired up to play Osceola,” Clark said.

Ocasio (2-for-4) and Baker (1-for-3) both are sophomores who played key roles in Harmony’s march to the state tournament last season. Both players continue to excel under Clark, in his first season as the Horns head coach. Ocasio’s impressive performance indicates that Harmony has a deep, deep pitching rotation including Harris, Breann Vanderzyl and Baker, all with playoff experience.

“I don’t think she (Ocasio) knew how good she was,” Clark said. “It’s one of the things we’ve been working on.”

Baker has been clutch from the No. 2 slot, Clark said.

“She is one of our most consistent contact hitters,” Clark said.

She also played a key role in a play robbed OHS from a first-inning lead.

Osceola sophomore Chantal Crockett tripled with two outs and appeared to score after Jessica Callahan followed with a line drive to right that Baker, the right fielder, fielded on one hop and alertly threw to first base for a force out to end the inning. Callahan and the Osceola bench were certain that Callahan beat the throw and the run should have counted.

Coffey, on crutches after foot surgery last week, said, “We were 0-for-2 in those calls.”

OHS pitchers Kenya Pereira and Morgan Crapo, who relieved in the sixth inning, allowed only five hits total.

Coffey switched pitchers to give Harmony a different look, he said.

“We did that last year against them and it gave them a few problems, but we were getting behind early in the count a lot and when you’re pitching from behind all the time, bad things can happen,” Coffey said.

OHS travels to East Ridge for a 7A-5 district game Friday at 7 p.m. Harmony travels to Viera today at 7 p.m. and to 7A-6 foe St. Cloud Friday at 7 p.m.