Camden, Flowers lead Carrollton to Class 1A regional title

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Carrollton's Hannah Uhles (right) and Daci Walls wait at the plate after scoring on Megan Camden's (7) grand slam against Nokomis on Saturday in the championship game of the Carrollton Class 1A Regional.

Carrollton pitcher Lauren Flowers delivers to the plate against Nokomis on Saturday in the championship game of the Carrollton Class 1A Regional.

Carrollton's Megan Camden (right) rounds third base to a glad hand from coach Travis Klingler on her grand slam in the sixth inning against Nokomis on Saturday in the championship game of the Carrollton Class 1A Regional.

Carrollton's Daci Walls (right) is called safe at second base while Nokomis shortstop Gracelynn DeWerff applies the tag on Saturday in the championship game of the Carrollton Class 1A Regional.

Carrollton's Lauren Flowers gets a face full of dirt while diving into third with a stolen base under the tag of Nokomis third baseman Presley Mehochko on Saturday in the championship game of the Carrollton Class 1A Regional.

Carrollton second baseman Hannay Uhles takes a throw too late to catch Emma Sneddon stealing second on Saturday in the championship game of the Carrollton Class 1A Regional.

Carrollton's Ryan Kallal grimaces after being hit by a pitch against Nokomis on Saturday in the championship game of the Carrollton Class 1A Regional.

Carrollton's Sophie Pohlman gets ready to hit against Nokomis on Saturday in the championship game of the Carrollton Class 1A Regional.

Carrollton's Vanna Holmes looks to the pitcher before hitting on Saturday in the championship game of the Carrollton Class 1A Regional.

Nokomis pitcher Jayde Gonet throws to a Hawks hitter on Saturday in the championship game of the Carrollton Class 1A Regional.

Carrollton's Ryan Kallal swings at a pitch against Nokomis on Saturday in the championship game of the Carrollton Class 1A Regional.

CARROLLTON – There was only one pair of Kinco work gloves in the Carrollton Hawks dugout on Saturday.

Megan Camden has not started a softball trend.

But wearing gloves made for landscaping, not hitting, Camden launched a grand slam that put the finishing touch on Carrollton's 10-2 victory over the Nokomis Redskins in the championship game of the Carrollton Class 1A Regional at Wright Park.

Carrollton sophomore Megan Camden heads home to happy teammates at the plate waiting to celebrate her grand slam against Nokomis on Saturday in the championship game of the Carrollton Class 1A Regional.

"Got work to do, got to wear the right gloves," Camden said. "I love them."

Camden's slam, her eighth homer of the season, came in a five-run sixth inning that buried the Redskins. Carrollton improves to 23-8 and advances to the Calhoun Sectional for a semifinal date with Valmeyer (17-2) at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday in Hardin. Nokomis, denied its first regional since 2012, closes at 14-14.

Camden also rapped out a double and drove in five runs to push the sophomore first baseman's season numbers to a .438 average with 33 RBIs and eight home runs in her first season breaking out suede gloves that can pull weeds as well as a fastball.

Megan Camden's helmet and gloves

"I asked her about that at the very beginning of the season," Carrollton coach Travis Klingler said of the equipment change. "I don't know. She says regular batting gloves are not sticky enough and don't do a good enough job. I just let her roll with it and we’ll go from there."

For an investment of "10 bucks, or so," Camden has found a fit she has no plans to move away from.

"I’ll probably get new ones if they start to smell bad," Camden said. "But if not …"

Carrollton pitcher Lauren Flowers (right) and catcher Daci Walls celebrate after the final out in the Hawks' win over Nokomis on Saturday in the championship game of the Carrollton Class 1A Regional.

The Hawks got three hits and three runs scored from sophomore Lauren Flowers, who extended her school-record for homers to 14 with a leadoff shot in the first inning. "It just felt nice to get out on top right off the bat," Flowers said.

Klingler called Flowers’ homer – a line drive that busted a windshield beyond the center field fence – "a no-doubter, big momentum."

But it was Camden's homer that gave Flowers a sense of comfort late in the game.

"Extremely big," Flowers said. "It gave us a little bit of room and I was able to relax a little more pitching."

Carrollton sophomore Lauren Flowers pitches against Nokomis against Nokomis on Saturday in the championship game of the Carrollton Class 1A Regional. Flowers struck out a career-high 17 in the win.

Flowers pitched a complete game for the win, allowing two runs on three hits and three walks while striking out a career-high 17. She admired Camden's homer, but is not considering a change in batting glove.

"Never," Flowers said with a smile. "Do something different, that's her personality, that's who she is. I can see that from Megan."

Flowers added a pair of doubles to the Hawks’ 10-hit offense that picked up two hits and two RBIs from sophomore catcher Daci Walls. Carrollton stole six bases, with Ella Stumpf swiping three to get to 24 for the season and Flowers stealing her 21st.

"We’ve got some other girls that are sneaky fast," Klingler said. "But those two, yeah, they put a lot of pressure on."

Carrollton has won back-to-back regional championships for the first time since 2013-14.

The Carrollton Hawks accept the championship trophy after winning a Class 1A regional on Saturday in Carrollton.

"It was a goal at the start of the season, something the girls really wanted and they’ve worked hard to get this," Klingler said. "We’re getting close to playing the way I’d like us to play. Played really well today, it means a lot."

Now, the Hawks go to Hardin looking to win their first sectional title since placing second at state in 2002. Carrollton was the No. 1 seed in its sub-sectional, with No. 2 seed Calhoun also getting through to the sectional on its home field. The other sub-sectional saw the Nos. 1 and 3 seeds eliminated while producing regional champions in second-seeded Valmeyer and fourth-seeded Okawville

"At this point, every game is going to be a challenge," Klingler said. "There have already been some upsets in our sectional, so it's going to be a challenge every game. We’ve just got to come out ready to play."