Warrior softball, baseball teams complete week 7-1

By RYAN RICHTER

Staff writer

Things are continuing to look good for both Marion’s baseball and softball teams as the two completed sweeps Friday of feisty visitor Moundridge.

The Warrior baseball team has had little problem with any opponent not named Little River, and Marion rolled to its seventh straight victory, pounding the Wildcats by 11-1 and 16-1 scores to up their mark to 9-1.

Marion’s bid for a second consecutive perfect week was dashed Tuesday with the softball team dropping a 7-3 finale against Canton-Galva after blasting the Eagles 17-0 in the opener.

The Warriors bounced back Friday to move to 5-3 on the year, dispatching the Wildcats 11-1 and 17-16.

Since opening the season with back-to-back losses to Council Grove, the Warrior softball team has put up double-digit runs in five of their last six games with the loss to Canton Galva Marion’s second lowest output.

After games Tuesday against Hutch-Trinity and Council Grove, the Warriors get an open date Friday because of Easter break.

Softball

The Warriors appear to be trying to figure out how to get consistency to carry over into the second games of doubleheaders.

Marion’s has beaten opponents in the first two games by combined scores of 28-1, but has to dig down deep in the finale.

A six-run explosion in Friday’s opener gave Marion pitcher Grace Overton a cushion, holding Moundridge to one earned run and four hits.

Overton, along with Laura Savage, and Chisholm Waner combined for six of Marion’s 11 RBIs aided by Waner’s triple.

A three-run bottom of the third inning allowed Marion to bury the Wildcats after five innings with Overton picking up the win and Marion’s offense getting 15 hits.

The second game proved to be a wrestling match with Marion heading into the bottom half of the second inning in a 1-1 deadlock.

The Warriors erupted for five runs in the bottom of the second, stretching their lead to 6-1 before Overton had the game blow up on her.

Moundridge put up an 8-run third, overtaking Marion, 9-6.

The Warriors wouldn’t stay down long, though, pulling to 9-7 in the bottom of the third before regaining the lead 11-10 in the bottom of the fourth with four runs.

Marion combined for 8 of 17 runs in the fourth and fifth innings, but Moundridge stayed hot on the Warriors’ tail.

The Wildcats had a two-run fifth and a three-run sixth to knot the game at 16-16 heading into Marion’s final at-bat.

Of Marion’s 19 hits, the Warriors pushed across the winning run down to their final chance to end the game in seven innings.

Savage, Jaden May, and Chloe Burkholder combined for 9 RBIs with May going a perfect 5-for-5 including a solo home run, and a triple.

Baseball

Many who watched Friday’s game were wondering how the Wildcats had gotten off to a 7-1 start.

Moundridge had yet to face Little River, though, and the seven wins had come at the expense of teams a combined 6-26 on the year.

Warrior coach Roger Schroeder reshuffled his batting line-up in attempt to find an offensive identity.

“We’re getting some hits, but we’re leaving a small town on the bases,” Schroeder said. “It’s those at bats that are really frustrating.

“Here we’ve got guys on second and third with one out and we can’t push anyone across. Or we’ve got bases loaded with nobody out and get one run. We don’t have an identity on offense. The pressure’s on the field, not in the batter’s box.”

It took Marion one inning to get going, but the Warriors built a 3-0 lead through five innings with Jaxton Tracy on the mound.

Tracy fired a two-hitter, striking out 10 of 21 batters while allowing a sole earned run for the win.

Tracy’s shutout gave way in the fifth with Moundridge pulling to 3-1, but Marion’s 5-run onslaught stretched the lead to 8-1 heading into the sixth.

Sam Zinn drove in a game-high 3 RBIs while Chase Stringer, who went 3-for-3, and Evann Heidebrecht combined for 4 RBIs.

Marion’s three-run sixth ended the contest with the 11-1 final.

The nightcap short-circuited for Moundridge starting pitcher Cross Lintecum right away with Heidebrecht going deep to left for a solo home run to spark a 3-run first.

Heidebrecht went 2-for-2, driving in three RBIs.

The Warriors imposed their will on Lintecum, battering him for eight runs of which six were earned.

Blaine Mermis tossed a one-hitter through three innings for the win, striking out six Wildcats.

The Wildcats stayed within 4-1 heading into the bottom of the third before the dam burst.

Zinn went 5-for-5 with three more RBIs as Marion responded with 10 runs to knock out Lintecum and leave the Wildcats in jeopardy of an abridged game.

Stringer, Tracy, Cooper Carpenter, Jared Rahe, and Luke Lanning finished with two RBIs each with Marion beating up the Wildcat pitchers for 14 hits.

“We’ve been struggling with the effort standpoint,” Schroeder said. “It got better last week and we’re taking steps in the right direction. I like where we’re at this time of year, though.”