Marathon Softball Game Prepares Canterbury for District Play

When Canterbury hosts the Class 1A-9 district softball tournament, which begins April 18, the Crusaders will be looking to win a sixth consecutive tournament. The win lets the team host a game to begin postseason play, and Canterbury is certainly steeled in high-tension games.

Earlier this month, Canterbury hosted Class 6A St. Petersburg, and it was school history for Canterbury. The Crusaders won 1-0 in 15 innings.

The game was the longest softball game in Canterbury history. Consider that a regulation high school softball game is seven innings. So that Thursday afternoon, the Crusaders played essentially more than two games before finally putting a run on the board in the bottom of the 15th.

Crusaders starting pitcher Emily Winesett pitched 11 innings before being replaced by Krissy Longstreet.

"It was time to switch," Winesett sighed, remembering the marathon. It was the longest Winesett had ever pitched in a game.

Canterbury seemingly had runners on base virtually each inning, but could never got a run across the plate until the teams had played over two games worth of softball. The home crowd moaned loudly with each third out recorded by St. Petersburg as the game dragged on.

But Canterbury coach Jody Moore never heard the fans' reaction. For good reason.

"My moaning was pretty loud," she joked.

With St. Petersburg on its third pitcher of the game, Canterbury finally started getting some hits together and mounting yet another threat to score. With the bases loaded, Julia Cieutat drove a pitch to left field on a line drive, and Winesett was able to cross the plate, ending a memorable Senior Day for the Crusaders.

"We were all just relieved," Winesett said of scoring the winning run. "There was a celebration but it was more that we were relieved."