DRAFFENVILLE – The Lady Marshals Softball team opened their season at home Thursday hosting the current State Champions and pre-season #1 team in Kentucky, the McCracken County Lady Mustangs, losing 16-4 in five innings.
McCracken County has all their hitting power back this season, reason enough to earn a MaxPreps Top 25 ranking of #20 in the nation this week and a USA Today Sports preseason #3 pick in the Super 25 rankings.
“They’re a very good team and will be hard to beat by anyone they play this season”, Lady Marshals Head Coach Trent Lovett said.
Lovett takes over the reigns of the softball program this season following Kara Hamby who coached the Lady Marshals the previous three seasons with a record over that time of 62-37.
Lovett said the team is very young and still getting used to their new coach and he is still learning his players.
Senior Bailey Vick was the first batter up for McCracken County and kicked their season off with a base hit. Vick scored from 2nd base on a hit by Hannah Ridolfi to give the Lady Mustangs the early 1-0 lead.
The Lady Marshals took the lead in the bottom of the 1st inning that began on a walk by Lexee Miller who moved on to 2nd base on a sacrifice bunt from Peyton Smothers. With two outs, Bailey Murphy stepped up and hit a fly ball that dropped between center and right field to score Miller and Smothers for a 2-1 lead.
The Lady Mustangs took the lead in the top of the 2nd, scoring six runs to go up 7-2 on a walk by Kaylyn Telfair, single by Lindsey Carroll, walk by Taylor Poindexter, walk by Maddie Wooten, Vick hit a single and Elizabeth Lindsey was hit by a pitch.
McCracken added six more runs in the 3rd, starting with a home run by Carroll and doubles by Poindexter and Vick and finally a triple by Kalli Harris to lead 13-2. Briley English, just off of basketball season and away from softball for two years, began the game on the mound for the Lady Marshals and was relieved by Addie Young to finish out McCracken’s at-bat.
McCracken added three more runs to lead 16-2 after the top of the 5th while the Lady Marshals, in their final at-bat, added two in the bottom of the inning when Abby Fiessinger hit a double with runners on 1st and 2nd.
“We didn’t quit”, Lovett said. “I told them before they went out in the last inning to keep battling.” Lovett said he reminded the team of their effort in their scrimmage last week against Madisonville, ranked #5 in pre-season polls, when the Lady Marshals lost 13-9.
Happy with his team’s effort in their first game of the season against #1 McCracken County, Lovett said, “There were a couple plays that I thought had we made the play, their 16 runs could have gone down to 10.”
Marshall County will host the annual Slugfest Friday and Saturday. The Lady Marshals play Friday at 7:00 against Mahomet-Seymour, IL followed by a game against Union City, TN at 8:30. On Saturday they take on Boone County at 9:00 am and Jeffersontown at 1:30.
CLICK HERE for the full slate of Slugfest games. (Lady Marshals 5:30 Friday game has been dropped)
CLICK HERE to view the Lady Marshals 2016 Softball schedule.
