On Tuesday September 24th the SMS/AJH Softball team defeated Wayne City 14-4 in 6 innings to clench a first round Regional play win. After a well placed bunt by Wayne City’s first batter, Bella Andrews would strand her on third with 3 strike outs. Lyla Keepes would ground out leading off for the Rockets. Kali Walker would send the ball to the center right field. Nora Jones would be walked. Andrews would hit to center field and be caught out but not without allowing Walker and Jones to score. Lauren Fisher hit to center left and reached second base. Madison Stevens would ground to the pitcher and be thrown out at first for the third out. Andrews would have two strike outs in the second. The third out came from a bunt thrown out at first after Jones played up and Lyla Keepes covered first. (2-0) Elizabeth Hefner led for the Lady Rockets in the bottom of the second. She hit a short third base in field hit and would go on to score. Chandler Cusick would be walked. Courtney Jones hit to the short stop and got on base. Lyla Keepes hit to the third basemen who turned a double play on C. Jones as she tried to tag up. With two outs and Cusick on base Walker would hit a bomb straight to the center fielder for the third out. (3-0) Top of the third Wayne City was at the top of their line up. Andrews would walk the first batter, followed by a bunt, and another walk. With bases loaded Andrews would deliver two strike outs. Bases still loaded, Walker (SS) would snag a ball for the final out stranding all runners and again denying Wayne City any runs. N. Jones would hit to left field and score. Andrews would hit to short stop and score. Fisher would get under a ball and carry it to the right field for the first out. Madison Stevens would hit to center left but be called out at home after not sliding on a close play. Elizabeth Hefner would be walked and score. Cusick was again walked and stranded on base after C. Jones would be thrown out at first from a solid third base line hit. (6-0). Top of the fourth Andrews would start with another K. Next batter took a base after turning into a pitch. The next batter was walked. These two would go on to score for Wayne city. With another runner on third Andrews would again come up big with another strike out. The next batter was walked, but a connect from Stevens (3) to N. Jones (1) would pull the Lady Rockets out of the inning (6-3). Bottom of the 4th was a large inning for the SMS/AJH team. Scoring 6 runs and going through the entire lineup, the Rockets would pull ahead 12-3. Keepes, Walker, N. Jones, Andrews, Fisher, and Stevens would all have solid hits and score. Andrews had a triple and Stevens a double. Elizabeth Hefner would be thrown out at first. In another double play from Wayne City, Chandler Cusick would be tagged out at first after C. Jones ball was caught by the pitcher. Top of the fifth was a quick 1, 2, 3. Walker to Jones for the first out, a technical out after a batter was walked and committed to stealing second but then turned back to first, and Andrews with her 10th strike out of the game. The Lady Rockets has a similar inning when Breslin Ligon would sub in for Keepes at bat and strike out. Walker and Jones would be out in a third double play from Wayne City. Andrews’ line drive was miraculously caught by the short stop tagging Walker and throwing Jones at at second. In the final 6th inning Walker and Jones would again connect for the first out. The next batter was walked. She would be called out after leaving second base stealing third although the pitcher had the ball and play was stopped. The next batter would bunt and go on to score after another walk and base hit to third. With two runners still on base and a third out needed, Lauren Fisher (C) would track a foul tip and have a spectacular catch for the third out. (12-4) Needing two runs to end the game by run rule, Fisher would follow up her catch by a line drive to center left field and go on to score 1 of 2 runs. Stevens would have her fourth hit of the night to short left field. Hefner would strike out leaving Chandler Cusick to get Stevens home; and she’d do just that with a third base hit. When Wayne City tried to throw Cusick out at first, Stevens would steal and slide into home for the game winning score.
The Lady Rockets take on New Hope tomorrow at 430 at Jasper/Geff in the second round of regional play. They look to get even after their last match up resulted in a 12-1 loss on 8th grade night last week.