TRACY — The Ripon Michigan Wolverines came up with two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning Monday night to walk off with the District 67 Majors Softball Tournament of Champions banner thanks to a 2-1 win over the Tracy Diamond Sluggers at Legacy Fields.

Peyton Merrill (2 for 3, triple, run) led off the final frame for Ripon with a single and alertly took second when Tracy took their eyes off of her. Taryn Winters (2 for 3, run) hit a slow grounder to short that a play was not made on to give the Wolverines runners at first and second with no outs. 

After advancing to second and third on stolen bases, Merrill scooted home on a wild pitch to tie the game and when the throw to get Merrill at home was off the mark, Winters had advanced to third and she came home for the walk-off run. 

“I knew once we got the two leadoff girls on that we stood a pretty good chance with the heart of our lineup coming up,” Ripon coach Adam Merrill said. “And then it was great to get those runs on a wild pitch.” 

Winters was masterful in the circle, striking out 14 and yielding just one hit and two walks. She struck out the side in order in the second and sixth innings, striking out four in the sixth due to a passed ball on strike three. At one point she retired 12 in a row. 

“I felt really good,” Winters said. “I just felt it today and pumped it in there.”

Getting those two runs in the bottom of the sixth was vindicating for the Wolverines. Merrill tripled in the first inning and attempted to score on Winters’ fly to center, but her access to home plate was obstructed and in attempting to tag it her foot caromed off the Tracy catcher’s leg. After running past the plate, Merrill was tagged out once the Tracy catcher got the ball.