The Mt. Carmel Jr. Lady Aces won their second consecutive regional title Saturday with a 4-1 win over Richland County.
This was the third time these teams had matched up, with the Jr. Lady Aces taking the first two games 17-1 & 11-1. Richland County put up a good effort with a state berth going to the winner of the game.
In the first inning, Mt. Carmel Jr. Golden Aces got their offense started when Evie Sellers doubled on a 0-1 count, scoring Lyla Keepes after she had singled.
In the bottom of the second, Journey Loudermilk singled to left. Kinley Harris provided a sacrifice bunt to move Loudermilk to third. Alivia Peach came next to provide a sacrifice fly allowing Loudermilk to tag up from third to score the run making it 2-0.
It wasn’t until the bottom of the fifth when the Jr. Aces would put more runs on the board. Riley Hershey led off the inning with a hard single to left. Next, Lyla Keepes singled on a bunt, putting runners on first and second. Keepes and Hershey then steal second and third. Evie Sellers doubles on a line drive that hit the centerfield wall in the air, scoring Hershey and Keepes making it 4-0.
Richland County would score their only run in the top of sixth making it 4-1, which is what the score remained.
Lyla Keepes toed the rubber for Mt. Carmel Jr. Golden Aces. The righthander allowed six hits and one run over seven innings, striking out five and walking one.
Leading the Jr. Lady Aces offensively were:
Evie Sellers: 2-3, 3RBIs, (2) 2B
Lyla Keepes: 2-2, 2R
Journey Loudermilk: 1-2, R
Riley Hershey 1-3, R
Kyleigh Smith 1-3
The Jr. Lady Aces move to 19-1 on the season and qualifying for state. Their first round state game will be Saturday, 10/1 at 1pm in Centralia vs. Wolf Branch Middle School (Swansea).
