Sienna Hutchins rips a double during a game against Olentangy Liberty. She later blasted a grand slam homer during a win over Hilliard Darby as the Lady Monarchs split a twinbill.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Tim Miller)
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The Lady Monarch softball team maintained its .500 record (7-7) with a split of games at Hilliard Darby on Saturday.
MHS dropped an 11-7 verdict to Olentangy Berlin in the first game, but clubbed Darby 16-0 during the nightcap.
An added plus was the return of junior shortstop Sienna Hutchins, who had missed the start of the season with a shoulder injury.
“It felt good to be back,” smiled Hutchins. “I struggled with not being out there earlier in the season, but I was excited to help my team today.”
Hutchins, who came off the bench in the game against Berlin, went four-for-six for the day and drove in seven runs.
A grand-slam homer in the top of the fifth against Darby highlighted her day.
The outcome against Darby was much easier to handle than the struggle against the Berlin Bears.
“It’s like Coach Elise (assistant coach Freeland) said… we made the game against Berlin much more because of our history with them,” said Lady Monarch head coach Jennifer Segner-Maxwell.
“I think we played uptight and made errors we usually don’t make,” she said.
Marysville finished the contest with three fielding miscues, which extended at-bats and added runs for Olentangy Berlin.
“You can’t do that,” said Segner-Maxwell. “What it came down to was the fact Olentangy Berlin made plays and we didn’t.”
Marysville held a 3-1 lead after one inning against Berlin.
The Bears, however, came back and tied the contest with single scores in the visitors’ portion of the third and fourth.
MHS fought back for a 5-3 edge in the fourth, only to see Olentangy Berlin plate three runs in the top of the sixth.
Marysville took a 7-6 lead in the home half of the sixth.
The Bears, though, took advantage of Lady Monarch mistakes to tally their final runs in the top of the seventh.
Olentangy Berlin outhit MHS, 16-8.
Hutchins doubled twice and drove in a run during the game.
Maya Segner had two hits and a pair of ribbies.
Josie Bumgarner started in the circle for MHS.
Reliever Brooklyn Gamby took the loss.
OB 101 203 4-11 16 3
MHS 300 202 0-7 8 3
Bumgarner once again got the starting nod against Hilliard Darby.
This time, the outcome was more to the Lady Monarchs’ liking.
Bumgarner scattered four hits.
She struck out three and didn’t walk a batter.
Marysville scored runs in each inning.
The Lady Monarchs held a 5-0 lead before crossing the plate three times in the visitors’ portion of the fourth.
They tacked on eight runs during the top of the fifth for a 16-0 advantage.
The run rule was invoked after the Panthers went scoreless in the bottom of the fifth.
Maya Segner blasted a solo homer in the first inning for Marysville.
She finished the game with three hits and drove in a pair of runs.
Segner was shy a single from hitting for the cycle.
Hutchins doubled in a run in the second, while doubles from Gwen Dyal and Lauren Mobley plated scores in the third.
Ella Wood, Dyal and Bumgarner each notched base hits that drove in runs during the fourth.
Singles by Sydney Calhoon, Morgan Nevers and Ally Clementz loaded the bases for Hutchins in the top of the fifth.
She turned on a 1-2 pitch and blasted the ball over the fence for a grand slam homer.
Dyal, who tallied three hits during the game, also ripped a round-tripper with runners on base to close out Marysville’s scoring.
She drove in six runs during the contest.
“After the loss to Berlin, we (the coaching staff) challenged the girls going into the last game of the day,” said Segner-Maxwell. “They responded very well.”
MHS 122 38-16 21 0
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