Staff writer
The Marion High School softball team lost both games Friday to Ell-Saline.
The Warriors lost the first game, 8-1. The Warriors only committed two errors in the contest, one of which occurred on a fly ball that was pushed back into the infield by 40 mph winds.
The top defensive play for the Warriors was left fielder Annie Whitaker throwing out a runner at the plate in the first game.
Raelene Allen started the first game and surrendered all of Ell-Saline’s runs.
Outfielder Chelsea Voth singled in the Warriors only run in the game. Marion had opportunities to score. In the first inning, the Warriors had runners on second and third base with one out, but failed to cross the plate. In the second inning, Marion loaded the bases with no outs and could not score.
The Warriors started off strong in the second game before losing, 18-8. They took a 3-0 lead in the first inning with runs by Megan Richmond, Allen, and Whitaker. Marion expanded the lead to 5-1 in the top of the third inning with a two-RBI single by Montana Percell that scored Voth and Whitaker. Whitaker injured a toe on her left foot on a play at the plate and left the game; Alyssa Edwards filled in for Whitaker in right field with Voth moving to left.
“We’re down anyway,” coach Jill Hudson said of the injury. “We have people playing positions they’re not used to playing.”
The Cardinals then responded with a 4-run third inning to tie the game. Ell-Saline started with the top of its lineup in the inning and hitters one through four scored. Danielle Sprinkle hit a two-RBI triple, Emily Work hit an RBI single to score Sprinkle, and Darriane Wikoff finished the inning with an RBI double to score Work.
Ell-Saline would continue that hot hitting throughout the game.
Work went 3-for-4 with two runs and three RBIs. Wikoff went 2-for-2 with two runs and two RBIs. Third baseman Taylor Albers was also 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI. Catcher Sesely Omli went 4-for-5 with four RBIs and a run.
Ell-Saline recorded 18 hits in the second game.
“They’re good hitters,” Hudson said, “disciplined hitters.”
Allen and Voth added to their RBI totals in the fourth inning. Allen hit a double to score Jordan Harper. Voth grounded out to score Balee Shiplet.
The Warriors had an 8-7 advantage going into the bottom of the fifth inning.
Starting with Ell-Saline’s eight-hole hitter, the Cardinals scored 6 runs in the fifth. The Warriors had an opportunity to record an out on the Cardinals’ second runner when they caught the Ell-Saline player in a run-down between third base and home plate. The Marion players filled in at the right positions, backing up third base, home plate, and second base. As the Cardinal runner was charging back to the third base bag, third baseman Sarah Guetersloh was caught between the runner and the base without the ball. Obstruction was called when the Cardinal runner was tied up with Guetersloh and the Ell-Saline runners returned to their positions on third and second bases.
Two errors and two walks allowed the Cardinals to get into scoring position before a single by Albers and Work drove runners home.
After the Warriors went down in order in the sixth, Ell-Saline tacked on 5 more runs in the sixth inning to end the game, 18-8.
Richmond pitched five innings for the Warriors in the losing effort. She recorded three strikeouts, while giving up three walks. Hudson said games like the second game to Ell-Saline will be a natural part of the freshman pitcher’s maturation process.
“That will happen until she gets stronger, until she can move the ball around a little more,” Hudson said.
Despite winning decidedly in both games, Ell-Saline coach Julie Huffmier told Hudson that Marion was the toughest opponent the Cardinals have played. Ell-Saline is now 14-0 on the season.
The Warrior play Hillsboro Friday in Marion.