In a matter of 15 hours, the Lady Marshals won four big games at Bowling Green’s Buchanon Park in the Best of the West, three of those wins over top 15 teams in the state. They opened on Friday with a 9-6 win over #14 Ballard, a team that shut-out McCracken County 7-0 on Friday. The Lady Marshals followed the Ballard win with a 4-2 win over #11 Webster County. In an early 8:00 am game Saturday, the Lady Marshals beat Franklin-Simpson 9-4 then turned right around and defeated #12 Assumption 5-4.
Against Ballard Friday evening in the 6:30 game, the Lady Marshals scored first in the top of the second inning on a single by Charley Pursley and two innings later, scored six big runs on an error, two-run triple by Mckenzie Elkins, Layne Pea double and two-run triple by Cayson Conner to lead 7-0.
It was the bottom of the fourth before Ballard put a run up and they rallied with three runs in the fifth to cut the Marshall County lead to 7-4, pulling to within one run in the seventh on a 2-run dinger by Allie Skaggs. The Lady Marshals earned a little breathing room in the top of the seventh, scoring two more runs on a Gracey Murt double and Riley Piercefield single to hang on for the 9-6 win.
Gabbi Lovett earned the win in six innings on the mound, allowing nine hits and three runs. Conner and Elkins each hit triples and drove in two runs a piece.
Marshall 0 1 0 6 0 0 2 9 10 1
Ballard 0 0 0 1 3 2 0 6 4 2
HITTING
Marshall: Jezik 1/4, Conner 2/4 (3B, 2 RBI), Murt 1/4 (2B, RBI), Young 2/3 (2B), Piercefield 1/3 (RBI), Pursley 1/4 (RBI), Elkins 1/3 (3B, 2 RBI), Pea 1/3 (2B, RBI)
Ballard: Donaldson 2/4, Skaggs 4/4 (2B, HR, 2 RBI), Grimes 1/3 (RBI), Sanders 1/2, Brownlee 2/3, Lee 1/4 (2B, 2 RBI), Gray (RBI)
PITCHING
Marshall: Lovett 6.0 (9 hits, 3 runs), Murt 1.0 (2 hits, 3 runs)
Ballard: Grimes 6.0 (9 hits, 9 runs), Gray 1.0 (1 hit, 0 runs)
The offense didn’t get rolling for Marshall County or Webster County until the fourth inning in the 8:30 game Friday at Buchanon Park. Webster County brought in two runs on singles by Kayla Yates and Keristen Braden and in the bottom of the inning, the Lady Marshals scored on a double by Kinley Edwards.
That would be it for the Lady Trojans, but the Lady Marshals would scored three more runs, two in the fifth that came on Webster County play choices following a bunt by Murt and in the sixth, Elkins scored on an error after her two-out triple to get on base for the 4-2 win.
Lovett and Murt shared duties on the mound, Lovett earning the win and the save going to Murt. Jezik and Elkins each hit a single and triple to lead the Lady Marshals at the plate.
Webster 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 2 5 1
Marshall 0 0 0 1 2 1 x 4 6 1
HITTING
Webster: Thomas 1/3, Yates 1/2 (RBI), Braden 1/3 (RBI), Durbin 1/3, Shoulders 1/3
Marshall: Jezik 2/3 (3B), Murt (2 RBI), Edwards 1/3 (2B, RBI), Pea 1/3, Elkins 2/3 (3B)
PITCHING
Webster: Scott 6.0 (6 hits, 4 runs)
Marshall: Lovett 3.0 (5 hits, 2 runs), Murt 3.0 (0 hits, 0 runs)
In their 8:00 am game on Saturday, the Lady Marshals beat Franklin-Simpson 9-4 in five innings on 13 hits. The Lady Wildcats scored in the first inning for the early 1-0 lead, the Lady Marshals leaving the bases loaded on the third out in the bottom of the inning but would tie the game up in the second on a single by Jezik. The took a 3-1 lead in the third inning on a Pea single and RBI ground ball by Pursley.
Six runs came across the plate for the Lady Marshals in the fourth inning on a double by Murt, Addie Young single, two-run triple by Pea, Elkins single and RBI grounder by Pursley. Franklin-Simpson continued to battle, bringing in three runs in the top of the fifth.
Lovett pitched four and a third innings for the win, striking out two, surrendering two runs on six hits. Jezik had three hits and drove in a run, Pea a single and triple along with three RBI’s, and two singles each came off the bats of Conner and Elkins.
Franklin-Simpson 1 0 0 0 3 x x 4 8 1
Marshall 0 1 2 6 x x x 9 13 0
HITTING
Franklin-Simpson: Mcbrayer 1/2, Davis 2/3 (3B), Arnemann 1/2 (RBI), Tuck 1/3 (RBI), Utley 1/3 (RBI), Caudill 1/3, Montague 1/1
Marshall: Jezik 3/4 (RBI), Conner 2/3, Murt 1/2 (2B, RBI), Young 1/3 (RBI), Piercefield 1/2, Edwards 1/3, Pea 2/3 (3B, 3 RBI), Elkins 2/3 (RBI), Pursley (2 RBI)
PITCHING
Franklin-Simpson: Coats 3.1 (12 hits, 9 runs), McBrayer 0.2 (1 hit, 0 runs)
Marshall: Lovett 4.1 (6 hits, 2 runs), Murt 0.2 (2 hits, 2 runs)
Marshall County wrapped up a successful trip to Bowling Green following the Franklin-Simpson win with a 5-4 decision over #12 Assumption, the only loss for the Lady Rockets in their four games at Buchanon Park. Both teams combined for 21 hits.
Two runs for the Lady Marshals in the third and fourth innings on singles by Jezik and Edwards were followed by two runs for Assumption in the fourth and fifth innings that led to a 2-2 tie. Both teams put up two runs each in the sixth inning, the Lady Marshals getting a run from Pea who scored on a wild pitch and Sarenna Tomassi crossing the plate on a single by Elkins. Assumption tied the game at 4-4 on a two-run single by Ashton Dowdy.
The go-ahead run for the Lady Marshals came in the top of the seventh on a bunt by Young that brought in Conner. Lovett retired the order for Assumption to finish out the game and earn the save. Tia Thorpe earned the win, pitching two innings, giving up three runs and six hits. Young and Edwards had two hits each and drove in a run and Pursley hit a triple in the top of the third inning.
Marshall 0 0 1 1 0 2 1 5 10 0
Assumption 0 0 0 1 1 2 0 4 11 1
HITTING
Marshall: Jezik 1/4 (RBI), Conner 1/3, Murt 1/4, Young 2/4 (RBI), Pea 1/3, Edwards 2/4 (RBI), Elkins 1/2, Pursley 1/3 (3B)
Assumption: Bailey 2/3 (2B), Dowdy 1/4 (2 RBI), Pastin 1/4 (2B), Downs 2/4 (RBI), Kiefer 1/4, Loechle 1/1, Metzger 1/3 (RBI), Raber 1/2, Cassin 1/1
PITCHING
Marshall: Lovett 5.1 (5 hits, 1 run), Thorpe 2.0 (6 hits, 3 runs)
Assumption: Casey 5.2 (6 hits, 3 runs), Gibson 1.1 (4 hits, 2 runs)
Lady Marshals record: 18-12