By By ERIKA PICKLES and SCOTT NOVAK / Niles Daily Star
NILES – The Brandywine varsity softball team had to work overtime to capture its own Matty Kurtis Invitational on Saturday.
The Lady Bobcats, now 24-8 on the season, defeated a pair of Wolverine Conference teams in extra innings to take the title.
Brandywine, who's players sported a black band on their arm in memory of Matty, edged Three Rivers 2-1 in nine innings to advance to the finals.
The Lady Bobcats, ranked No. 5 in Division 3, then knocked off Dowagiac in the championship game, 6-5, also in nine innings.
The Chieftains, ranked No. 10 in Division 2, reached the finals with a 9-4 victory over Climax-Scotts in the second game of the day.
Kendra Zache used her arm and her bat to lead Brandywine to the title.
Zache was the winning pitcher in both games as she improved to 24-7 on the season. Zache had a double in the win over Three Rivers and two home runs against Dowagiac in the championship game. She struck out eight and walked just two against the Chieftains.
The Lady Bobcats trailed the Chieftains 5-2 before scoring three times in the seventh inning to tie the game. Brandywine won the game with a run in the bottom of the ninth.
"Brandywine just hit the ball better in the championship," Dowagiac coach Mike Behnke said. "We played great defense holding what seemed to be doubles to singles. But in the end, they just found the gaps or hit it over the fence earning all six runs they scored."
Besides Zache's home runs, the Lady Bobcats also got doubles from Lauren McCombs and Kristina Ford. Zache also drove in three runs, while Ford singled as well and drove in a run.
Brandywine finished the game with 14 hits.
The Chieftains finished with seven hits, led by Brittany Bruens, who was 2-for-3 with her first career home run, a RBI and three runs scored.
Roach and Calie Daniels both doubled for the Chieftains, while Holly Lowe was 2-for-5 with two RBI.
In the opening game, Leah Kachur singled home the winning run for the Lady Bobcats.
Zache singled an doubled, while Becky Modlin also doubled.
Zache allowed one hit and struck out 11 against the Lady Wildcats.
Matty Kurtis Invitational
Brandywine High School
First Game
Three Rivers 000 010 000 – 1 1 1
Brandywine 000 001 001– 2 8 0
WP – Kendra Zache (B) 23-7
LP – Brooke Carpenter (TR)
2B: Zache (B), Kristina Ford (B), Becky Modlin (B)
Records: Three Rivers 22-11, Brandywine 23-8
Second Game
Climax-Scotts 000 040 0 – 4 2 2
Dowagiac 304 002 x – 9 11 3
WP – Katie Roach (D) 20-8
LP – Burgett (CS)
Save 0 Brook Means (D) 1
Record: Dowagiac
Championship Game
Dowagiac 103 000 100 – 5 8 0
Brandywine 100 001 301 – 6 14 2
WP – Kendra Zache (B) 24-7
LP – Katie Roach (D) 20-9
2B: Lauren McCombs (B), Kristina Ford (B), Roach (D), Calie Daniels (D)
HR: Zache (B) 2; Brittany Bruens (D)
Records: Brandywine 24-8, Dowagiac 21-9