Games over two days on four different fields in Marshall County gave area softball fans plenty to cheer about in Friday and Saturday’s annual Lady Marshals Slugfest. The Lady Marshals split games on Friday, falling in nine innings to Goreville, Ill. then following that up with a win over Spencer County and a Saturday win over South Warren.
Friday against Goreville, both teams were scoreless through the first four innings with Goreville scoring first in the bottom of the fifth. The Lady Marshals squared the game up in the top of the seventh on a single by Riley Piecefield that brought in Cayson Conner. It was Conner’s triple that got things rolling in the inning and they would hold Goreville with the bases loaded in the bottom of the inning, leaving two stranded with the final strike out by pitcher Gabbi Lovett to head into extra frames.
Leaving a runner stranded in the top of the eighth, the Lady Marshals brought in two runs to lead 3-1 in the top of the ninth on a single by Conner and error that brought home Layne Pea. Not going away, Goreville scored five big runs in the bottom of the inning on a single by Abigail King, finishing in a big way with a walk-off grand slam from Emma Vaughn.
Kelsey Ray pitched all nine innings for Goreville, allowing five hits and three runs.
Marshall 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 3 5 0
Goreville 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 5 6 12 2
HITTING
Marshall: Young 1/3 (2B), Conner 2/4 (3B, RBI), Piercefield 1/4 (RBI), Elkins 1/3
Goreville: Sopczak 1/5, L. King 3/3 (2B, RBI), Ray 2/3 (2B), S. Licka 1/3, A. King 1/4 (RBI), Vaughn 1/2 (HR, 4 RBI), A. Licka 3/4
PITCHING
Marshall: Lovett 8.2 (12 hits, 6 runs)
Goreville: Ray 9.0 (5 hits, 3 runs)
In the late game Friday, Charley Pursley’s home plate steal put the Lady Marshals on the board in the first inning against Spencer County. The Lady Bears went up 2-1 in the top of the third but the lead swung back in favor of the Lady Marshals, scoring three runs in the bottom of the inning on an error, bases loaded ground ball by Sarenna Tomassi and sacrifice hit by Addie Young.
A triple by Pea and sacrifice by Pursley gave the Lady Marshals a 6-2 lead in the fourth inning. Spencer County scored two runs in the top of the second on a double, one of five doubles in the game for the Lady Bears.
Lovett allowed 10 hits and four runs in seven innings on the mound.
Spencer Co. 0 0 2 0 0 0 2 4 10 3
Marshall 1 0 3 2 0 0 x 6 7 0
HITTING
Spencer Co: Houkleberry 2/4 (2B), Alexander 1/3 (2B, 2 RBI), Brooks 1/4 (RBI), Cole 1/4 (RBI), Lyons 1/3, Watson 2/3, Shivers 1/3, Elsenback 1/2 (2B)
Marshall: Pursley 1/2 (2 RBI), Jezik 1/2, Tomassi 1/3 (2B, RBI), Young (RBI), Piercefield 2/3, Pea 2/3 (3B, RBI)
PITCHING
Spencer Co: Houkleberry 6.0 (7 hits, 6 runs)
Marshall: Lovett 7.0 (10 hits, 4 runs)
Addie Young’s double drove in a run in the first inning for the Lady Marshals against South Warren before the offense went silent for both sides over the next four innings. In the sixth inning, both teams put up three runs each, the Lady Marshals scoring on singles by Pursley and Conner.
Leading 4-3, Tomassi drove in a run in the top of the seventh for the 5-3 win on seven hits. Lovett picked up the win in seven innings on the mound, giving up three runs and nine hits.
Marshall 1 0 0 0 0 3 1 5 7 0
South Warren 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 3 9 1
HITTING
Marshall: Tomassi 1/3 (RBI), Pursley 2/4 (RBI), Jezik 1/3, Young 1/3 (2B, RBI), Conner 1/3 (2 RBI), Elkins 1/3
South Warren: Bush 2/3 (2B), Bennett 1/4 (2B, RBI), Enlow 2/3 (2B, 2 RBI), Isable 1/3, Reynolds 2/3 (2B), McCoy 1/3 (2B)
PITCHING
Marshall: Lovett 7.0 (9 hits, 3 runs)
South Warren: Enlow 7.0 (7 hits, 5 runs)