Huelson’s Homer, Five-Run Fifth Propel Nokomis Past Litchfield 7-6

Nokomis fell behind early but used a massive fifth-inning rally to secure a thrilling 7-6 non-conference home victory over Litchfield on Wednesday. Senior Ella Huelson provided the fireworks for the hosts, launching a home run to fuel a five-run fifth inning that ultimately decided the contest.

Litchfield (25-26) applied pressure right out of the gate, scratching across two runs in the top of the first inning and adding another in the second. Kinley Hemken was a consistent catalyst on the basepaths for the visitors, drawing three walks, stealing two bases, and scoring twice to keep the Nokomis defense on its heels.

Trailing 3-0, Nokomis (25-26) slowly chipped away at the deficit. The hosts pushed a run across in the bottom of the second and added another in the fourth, cutting Litchfield’s lead to 3-2 and setting the stage for a late-game surge.

The turning point arrived in the bottom of the fifth. The Nokomis lineup caught fire, exploding for five runs behind clutch hitting and capitalizing on defensive miscues. Huelson delivered the biggest blow of the afternoon with her home run, finishing the day 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a run scored. Senior Camryn Engelman and junior Maliah Harris kept the line moving, each collecting a pair of hits in the victory, while senior Faith Morrison added an RBI.

Armed with a sudden 7-4 advantage, Morrison went to work in the circle to protect the lead. Litchfield refused to go quietly, rallying for two runs in the top of the sixth to pull within a single run. However, Morrison shut the door in the seventh, finishing off a gritty complete-game victory. The senior allowed six runs—only three of which were earned—on five hits over seven innings, striking out six while navigating around seven walks.

Aria Feeley took the loss for Litchfield despite a strong two-way performance. Feeley pitched all six innings for the visitors, allowing five earned runs on nine hits while striking out six. At the plate, she paced the Litchfield offense, going 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Allison Belusko also swung a reliable bat for Litchfield, finishing 2-for-3.

Game Summary

Score by Quarters

Scoring Drives

• 1st Inning: Litchfield pushes two runs across the plate to take an early 2-0 lead.

• 2nd Inning: Litchfield adds an insurance run in the top half. Nokomis gets on the board in the bottom half to make it 3-1.

• 4th Inning: Nokomis plates another run, cutting the Litchfield advantage to 3-2.

• 5th Inning: Nokomis erupts for five runs, highlighted by Ella Huelson’s crucial home run, taking a commanding 7-3 lead. Litchfield manages one run to make it 7-4.

• 6th Inning: Litchfield battles back with two runs to close the gap to 7-6, but the Nokomis defense holds firm.

Individual Statistics

BATTING:

• Litchfield: Aria Feeley 2-4 (1 RBI, 1 R), Allison Belusko 2-3, Emma Estell 1-4, Camie Stump 1-4 (1 R), Kinley Hemken 0-1 (3 BB, 2 R, 2 SB).

• Nokomis: Ella Huelson 2-3 (HR, 2 RBI, 1 R), Camryn Engelman 2-4, Maliah Harris 2-3 (1 R), Faith Morrison 1-4 (1 RBI), M. DeWerff 1-4 (1 RBI, 1 R).

PITCHING:

• Litchfield: Aria Feeley (L) – 6.0 IP, 9 H, 7 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 6 K.

• Nokomis: Faith Morrison (W) – 7.0 IP, 5 H, 6 R, 3 ER, 7 BB, 6 K.