Softball: Winning streak slides to five games
Eric Clark
Sports Editor
Two runs.
In four games, that's all the Marion Warrior softball team has allowed against their opponents.
In those four games, the Warriors have outscored their opponents 59-2.
In the last five games, Marion has outscored their opponents 70-5 during a five-game winning streak after losing a heart-breaker to Sacred Heart on April 22. As a team, Marion is hitting .318 in the last four games, and with the post-season tournament looming, the Warrior winning spree couldn't have started at a better time.
The Warriors faced Canton-Galva Tuesday, and upended the Eagles 21-0 in game one and 12-2 in game two.
From the onset of game one, Marion set the tone for the afternoon.
The Warriors snagged four runs in the first inning, eight runs in the second and third, and one in the fifth inning to rocket past the Canton-Galva team.
Megan Moore, the Warriors ace pitcher, pitched only two innings of the contest, giving Warrior reliever Kara Holt some much needed experience heading into the post season.
Holt was masterful on the mound in her appearance against the Eagles. Holt struck out five of the 11 batters she faced.
Moore struck out four while facing seven hitters.
Caitlyn O'Dell went 3-for-5 hitting the ball and scored four times, while driving in one run and stealing two bases. Sarah Williams was 2-for-4, scoring two runs and driving in two runs. Emmy Bowers went 2-for-4 scoring two runs and stealing two bases in the win.
In game two, the Warriors got an early scare, as the Eagles tacked on two runs in the third inning to take a 3-0 lead heading into the fourth inning.
But Marion responded in the fourth inning connecting on five hits and driving in five runs.
Canton-Galva was held scoreless the rest of the game, as they watched the Warriors rattle off seven more runs to take the eventual 10-point victory.
In three innings of work, Holt surrendered three hits and two runs, while striking out three of the 13 batter she faced. Moore came in to relieve Holt and struck out seven of the last nine batters without allowing a hit or a run.
Nikki Moody led the offensive attack for Marion posting a 3-for-4 hitting afternoon, scoring three runs and driving in one run. Bowers went 2-for-4, including a home run. She also scored three runs and drove in another in the win.
At SE of Saline Friday, the Warrior women picked up two lop-sided victories while giving their inexperienced pitchers an opportunity on the mound.
Moore started the first game of the double header and struck out four out of seven batters in her limited two innings of work.
Leann Thomas came in for the remainder of the game and struck out five of eleven batters while holding SE of Saline hitless and scoreless.
The Warriors scored virtually at will against SE of Saline. Marion scored six runs in the first inning, five in the third, and four in the fourth to take home a 15-0 win in game one.
In game two, pitching tandem Thomas and Holt combined to pitch a shutout while allowing only three hits in an 11-0 win.
Thomas struck out five batters out of the 20 she faced in five innings, allowing three hits and two base-on-balls. Holt came in for one inning and struck out one batter out of four faced batters.
The Warriors snagged a run in the first inning, three in the third, three in the fifth, and four in the sixth to cruise to the 11-point win.
Even though she didn't throw a pitch in game two, Moore went 3-for-4 hitting, including a double, scoring three runs, and bringing in three runs. O'Dell was 1-for-4 with two runs scored and a stolen base.
The Warriors faced Chase County at home May 6 and will host Chapman on Friday at 4:30 p.m.
