Marysville’s Ashley Dunn collides with a Hilliard Davidson infielder on a play at second base. Dunn was out on the play. The Lady Monarchs won the Division I tournament game by a score of 6-1. (Journal-Tribune photo by Tim Miller)
A four-run fifth inning helped pave the way to a 6-1 Division I tournament-opening victory for Marysville’s softball team.
The fourth-seeded Lady Monarchs upped their record to 21-2 with the triumph over No. 31 Hilliard Davidson (8-15) on Wednesday.
MHS held a 2-0 lead through 4 ½ innings, but broke the contest open with its deciding runs in the home half of the fifth.
Up until that time, Monarch pitcher Abby Christian and Davidson hurler Lauren Runals had put together a good duel in the circle.
Christian stranded three runners, while Runals left seven on the sacks.
The Lady Monarchs took a 1-0 lead in the home half of the initial inning.
Abri Schmutz and Lexi Williams ripped back-to-back singles to begin the frame.
With one down, Jalynn Young reached on a fielder’s choice.
The Wildcats, however, notched the second out of the inning on a putout at third base.
Tareyn Born, though, lined a base hit that gave Marysville a 1-0 edge.
It took until MHS’ half of the fourth inning before another run was plated.
Ashley Dunn led off with a double and went to third on Haley Winans’ sacrifice fly.
Dunn then scored on Hannah Pack’s base hit.
Christian allowed a base hit in the visitors’ portion of the fifth.
The sophomore hurler, however, K’d a trio of batters to end the frame.
Young began the bottom of the fifth by driving a base hit.
She was replaced on the bases by courtesy runner Maya Segner.
Abby Gindlesberger was safe on a fielder’s choice in which no out was made.
Dunn then walked to juice the sacks.
Winans singled in a pair of runs for a 4-0 Marysville advantage.
MHS jumped out to a 5-0 lead when the Wildcats misplayed a ball hit by Pack into a fielding miscue.
The Lady Monarchs’ final run came on Williams’ two-out base hit.
Runals got out of further trouble with a strikeout.
Davidson tallied its lone run in the top of the sixth.
With one down, Cee Cee Keidel doubled.
She scored on a base hit by Erin Hennessy.
The Wildcats got another runner on base via an MHS error.
Christian wiggled out of further trouble with a fielder’s choice and a popup.
Gindelsberger reached safely on a two-out error during the bottom of the sixth.
She was left on base after a flyball out.
Christian retired the Panthers in order during the top of the seventh to end the game.
The final two batters went down swinging on her eighth and ninth strikeouts.
“Abby did a great job and our defense played pretty well,” said Lady Monarch head coach Jennifer Segner-Maxwell.
“We moved the ball, but couldn’t come up with key hits at times,” she said. “We left a lot of runners (10) on base.”
Williams, Dunn, Young and Schmutz each had two of Marysville’s 12 hits.
The Lady Monarchs will travel to Thomas Worthington today to complete a game that was suspended in the top of the fourth by weather last Friday.
Marysville holds a 6-1 lead when action resumes.
Davidson 000 001 0-1 6 5
MHS 100 140 x-6 12 1
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Lady Monarch pitcher Abby Christian prepares to release the ball during Wednesday’s game against Hilliard Davidson. MHS won its tournament opener, 6-1. (Journal-Tribune photo by Tim Miller)