Team 2-2 after 0-12 start
Sports editor
Marion High School softball coach Sandy Black has preached it all season: “Attitude is everything.”
After a week that saw the Warriors win their first two games of the season, Black said there has been a change in attitude.
“I think the girls are finally seeing this,” Black said.
Losing their first 12 games of the season began to wear on the players, and the atmosphere around the team was not always positive.
However, that was thrown out the window April 28 at Lindsborg when the Warrior bats erupted for 15 hits in an 11-6 victory against the Smoky Valley Lady Vikings, their first of the season.
On Friday, the team used timely hitting at home against Hoisington to score four runs in the fifth inning while trailing, 2-0. Marion would go on to win 4-3.
“Those two wins help tremendously,” Black said. “This has shown the girls that when we work as a team and have positive attitudes and keep our heads up, we play well.”
MHS dropped the other games in both doubleheaders, but have now crept into the win column, and stand at 2-14.
Alex Cain and Shelby Percell did most of the damage during the week, combining to go 10-24 with six RBIs. Brooke Johnson was 4-6 with two RBIs against Smoky Valley.
Percell’s best game came in the victory against the Lady Vikings where she was 3-4 with a double, triple, and RBI.
Cain was 4-6 in the Smoky Valley games, and picked up both victories on the mound during the week.
However, what was most impressive to Black was the hitting of the entire team against the Vikings. Everyone who played got at least one hit and together they were 16-32 at the plate.
“I was very pleased with our bats,” Black said. “We headed to Smokey Valley focused and (with) positive attitudes the first game and the outcome was good.”
However, she said that kind of attitude has to be game-in and game-out.
Later that night, it wasn’t.
Although Marion jumped ahead 2-0 in the top of the first, it was 5-2 going into the second inning, and the Warriors managed just one more run in a 13-3 loss.
“(In) the second game our heads dropped and we gave up,” Black said.
The team refocused Friday to earn the victory against the Cardinals in game one. The team managed just five hits, two from Anna Laurin, but it was enough for the one-run victory.
Percell, Jordan Harper, and Ashley Ratzloff each had RBI-singles in the fifth inning to put a four-spot on the board.
Cain would give up a run in the sixth, but she shut the door in the seventh for a complete game victory.
After an 0-6 start on the mound, Cain is now 2-6 with a 4.15 ERA.
This past week she threw 14 innings, allowed seven earned runs, and struck out 12 while walking only three.
“Alex has been pitching well for us this year, but our defense backs her up,” Black said. “We have had some great plays this year coming from the outfield and infield both.
“Our outfield does a wonderful job of getting the ball in quickly and we are able to throw out runners. Our catchers have done a good job, too, with throwing down and stopping pitches from getting behind them.”
With just four games remaining on the schedule (May 5 doubleheader against Lyons and May 12 games against Hesston) the home regional is right around the corner.
The team will play host to a 3A postseason tournament May 18-21.
Black said she has high hopes for the rest of season.
“Softball season tends to fly,” Black said. “We have started off rocky but I plan on finishing strong. My goal is for the girls to continue with positive attitudes, work hard, and work together as a team. We will be concentrating on our bats these next couple weeks.”
Notes
The Warriors now have three players batting above .300 in Cain (.368), Percell (.333), and Johnson (.333) … Percell’s big week has given her the team RBI lead with nine … Johnson missed the Hoisington games, leaving Harper, Tiffany Christensen, and Raelene Allen as the only players to play in all 16 games this season … all but one Warrior has a stolen base this season.