Skyler North of MHS slides safely into third base at Hilliard Darby on Thursday. The Lady Monarchs won, 8-5, during their OCC Cardinal Division opener. (Journal-Tribune photo by Tim Miller)
The Lady Monarch softball team jumped out to a 7-1 lead and held on for an 8-5 triumph at Hilliard Darby on Thursday.
In doing so, MHS (7-1 overall) won its Ohio Capital Conference Cardinal Division opener.
“It’s always good to get that first conference victory,” said head coach Jennifer Segner-Maxwell.
The Panthers took a 1-0 edge in the home half of the initial inning.
With one down, Kaitlyn Patrick singled off MHS pitcher Abby Christian.
Patrick went to second on a wild pitch and scored on a double by Jordyn Anderson.
Christian got out of further trouble with her second strikeout and a pop fly.
Marysville evened the score at 1-1 in the top of the second.
Tareyn Born singled with one out and moved to second on a Darby fielding miscue.
Born motored to third on Haley Winans’ base hit.
Born then scored on an errant pickoff attempt at third.
The Lady Monarchs (who will host Dublin Coffman in a makeup game today) took a 2-1 lead in the fourth.
Abby Gindlesberger led off with a single.
She went to second when Winans was safe on an error after a sacrifice bunt.
Bre Ortman advanced the runners with a sacrifice bunt.
MHS took the lead on Abri Schmutz’s sacrifice fly.
The Lady Monarchs put separation between themselves and the Panthers during the fifth and sixth frames.
Marysville tallied four runs in the fifth.
Christian and Jalynn Young ripped back-to-back singles.
Lexi Williams put down a sacrifice bunt, which Darby played into one of its three errors.
By the time the dust settled, courtesy runners (for Christian and Young) Skyler North and Chloe Heminger had scored and Williams was perched on third base.
Born walked and went to second on a passed ball that left two runners in scoring position.
Gindlesberger was out on a fielder’s choice, but drove in the run that gave Marysville a 5-1 lead.
The final MHS run of the inning crossed the plate on an error.
Marysville went on top 7-1 with a run in the sixth.
Schmutz lined a base hit off Anderson’s glove in the pitching circle.
With one out, Christian singled and moved Schmutz to second.
Schmutz advanced to third on a fielder’s choice and then scored on a delayed double steal.
Anderson escaped further damage with an inning-ending grounder.
The Panthers pulled to within 7-4 with a trio of runs in the bottom of the sixth.
The key hit of the frame came on a single by Meredith Henry that drove in two runs.
MHS padded its lead at 8-4 with a run in the top of the seventh.
Born led off by drilling a two-bagger.
She went to third on Gindlesberger’s sacrifice bunt and scored on Winans’ base hit.
Hilliard Darby scored a consolation run in the bottom of the inning.
Kryn Enneking singled in that run.
Christian allowed seven hits, struck out five and walked four while picking up the win.
Anderson surrendered 11 hits, fanned six and issued a pair of free passes.
“We did a good job of putting the ball in play and we also took advantage of Darby’s errors,” said Segner-Maxwell. “I think we were a little on edge to start the game, but relaxed as it went along.
“We got bunts down that moved runners on the base paths.”
MHS 010 141 1-8 11 0
HD 100 003 1-5 7 3
WP-Christian
LP-Anderson
The Marysville JV softball team pounded Hilliard Darby, 16-3.
The Jr. Monarchs pounded 12 hits, with Maya Segner notching three.
Brooke Williams and Caitlin Regal both had two hits.
Regal and Ashlynn McAdow both pitched.
They limited Darby to just two hits while striking out five.