Evan Platfoot (10) of Jonathan Alder steals third base against London on Wednesday. The Lady Pioneers fell, 3-2. (Journal-Tribune photo by Tim Miller)
The Red Raiders of London turned the tables on Jonathan Alder’s softball squad Wednesday.
The Lady Pioneers clubbed their Madison County rival, 11-0, on Monday.
It was a different story a couple of days later as JA fell, 3-2.
The verdict marked the first Central Buckeye Conference setback in 12 games for the Lady Pioneers.
Alder also slipped to 15-2 overall.
Jonathan Alder still leads the CBC’s Kenton Trail Division by one game over Springfield Shawnee (10-2).
London (18-4 overall) is two games back in the circuit with a 9-3 mark.
Jonathan Alder pitcher Marlee Jacobs breezed through five innings as JA held a 1-0 lead.
She surrendered only two hits during that time frame.
The Lady Pioneers (who will host Urbana on Friday) plated one run in each of the first and fifth innings.
Danielle Robbins led off JA’s portion of the initial inning with a single.
She swiped second and advanced to third on a fielder’s choice.
With two down, Danielle Phipps doubled to give Alder its one-run lead.
London pitcher Briana Peterman got out of the inning with a groundball out.
Jonathan Alder stranded three runners on base during the second-through-fourth innings.
The Red Raiders threatened in the visitor’s portion of the fifth.
Jacobs walked Natalie Zabloudil and yielded a base hit to Josie Cover.
The Alder hurler got a pitcher’s best friend when London’s Kennedy Nickell bunted into a double play.
Jacobs issued her second free pass of the game, but notched one of her eight strikeouts to get out of the inning.
The Lady Pioneers took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the fifth.
Robbins put down a bunt single and stole second.
She later scored on Kiersten Dolby’s base hit.
Jacobs got on board via a fielder’s choice.
Peterman, however, escaped further damage by coaxing a ground ball out to end the inning.
London tallied all three of its runs in the top of the sixth, right before a 30-minute delay for thunder.
Elli Trimble, Allie Moore and Chloe Snyder ripped extra-base hits deep to Alder’s outfield.
Moore and Snyder drove in runs.
Zabloudil gave London a 3-2 lead with an RBI single.
Cover reached on an Alder fielding miscue, which put runners on first and second.
At that time, thunder was heard in the distance and the diamond was cleared.
Play resumed a half hour later.
Nickell beat out an infield single that loaded the bases.
Alder’s infield played in to cut down a runner at the plate.
Jacobs, however, got out of trouble with a pair of strikeouts.
Jonathan Alder left the potential tying run on third base in the bottom of the sixth.
Kylie King was hit by a pitch and went to second on a fielder’s choice.
She advanced to third on Jaden Phelps’ flyball.
Peterman, however, notched a strikeout to end Alder’s threat.
Jacobs yielded back-to-back base hits with one down in the top of the seventh.
Both London base runners were stranded when Jacobs fanned a batter and induced a flyball out.
JA’s Evan Platfoot walked to lead off the bottom of the seventh.
She took second on Robbins’ sacrifice bunt and went to third on a passed ball.
Dolby grounded out.
Platfoot got a late break toward the plate on the play for the potential tying run.
She was gunned down at home to end the game.
“We work on that play that’s called our ‘ready down,’” said Alder coach Dave McGrew. “If you don’t get a good jump, you don’t go.
“Evan just got a late start and was already committed to trying to score”.
“London is a good team and they hit Marlee well,” he said. “After hanging 11 runs on them Monday, we just came out flat today.”
London 000 003 0-3 9 0
JA 100 010 0-2 7 1
WP-Peterman
LP-Jacobs