Finally taking the field after a two-day weather delay, the Lady Marshals met Carlisle County in the First Region tournament quarter-finals, needing a win to advance to the semi-finals against Graves County just a couple of hours later. The Lady Marshals took care of business in an 8-3 win to meet the Lady Eagles who beat Paducah Tilghman 6-5 in the first game of the day.
The big shock of the evening came in the first semi-final game between seventh ranked McCracken County and Ballard Memorial following the Lady Marshals win. In their two games this season combined, the Lady Mustangs out-scored Ballard Memorial 32-1, both games ending in four innings.
In what should have been a cake walk for McCracken County, who are 59-0 all-time against First Region teams, found themselves trailing the Lady Bombers 3-1 going into the sixth inning. McCracken County cut it to 3-2 with a solo home run in the sixth and with base-runners on in the seventh, Ballard converted the double-play on a bunt to beat the Lady Mustangs, the first ever loss to a First Region team by McCracken County.
Following that, the Lady Marshals won the second semi-final 10-1 over the Lady Eagles to advance to play Ballard Memorial in Thursday’s First Region championship game at 5:00. The teams have not met this season and the Lady Bombers will no doubt still be riding the high of their historic win the night before.
Getting to the semi-final game, the Lady Marshals had to first get past the Lady Comets who didn’t make it easy. Carlisle County scored first in the second inning to lead 1-0 but that was answered by the Lady Marshals with five runs in the bottom of the second, scoring on a 2-run double by Presley Jezik, sacrifice by Kaycee Kemp, bunt by McKenzie Tack and single by Sarenna Tomassi to lead 5-1.
A single by Tomassi made it 6-1 in the fourth inning before Carlisle County cut it to 6-3 with two runs in the fifth on a double by Martin. A single from Riley Piercefield and bases loaded walk by Kinley Edwards put the Lady Marshals up 8-3 which held for the win.
Jezik led the Lady Marshals at the plate with a single, double and two RBI’s and the win went to Aubree Jo Kemp in five innings, allowing three hits, three runs and struck out three.
On to the semi-final game against Graves County, Layne Pea scored the Lady Marshals first run with a bunt in the second inning with two more runs scoring in the third on a double by Gracey Murt and ball that got past the catcher. Six runs in the fifth for Marshall County began on a one out double by Addie Young, single by Riley Piercefield, a two-out bases loaded walk by Pea and a big three-run double by Tomassi to lead 9-0.
A sacrifice fly by Tomassi in the seventh made it a 10-0 game with the Lady Eagles avoiding the shut out, scoring in the bottom of the seventh on a sacrifice by Bailey Cartwright.
Tomassi ended the game with a double and four RBI’s, Young and Murt each had doubles and an RBI and Pea had a couple of hits with two RBI’s. Kemp earned the win in six innings on the mound, allowing just one hit, one run and struck out five.
Carlisle 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 3 4 2
Marshall 0 5 0 1 2 0 x 8 9 1
HITTING
Carlisle: Martin 1/3 (2B, 2 RBI), Hooper 1/3, Bogle 1/3 (2B, RBI), Blackwell 1/2
Marshall: Tomassi 2/4 (2 RBI), Murt 1/4 (3B), Young 1/2, Piercefield 2/4 (RBI), Jezik 2/3 (2B, 2 RBI), K Kemp (RBI), Pursley 1/1, Edwards (RBI)
PITCHING
Carlisle: Blackwell 6.0 (9 hits, 8 runs)
Marshall: Kemp (W) 5.0 (3 hits, 3 runs), Lovett 2.0 (1 hit, 0 runs)
Marshall 0 1 2 0 6 0 1 10 13 0
Graves 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 2
HITTING
Marshall: Tomassi 1/4 (2B, 4 RBI), Jezik 2/5, Murt 1/3 (2B, RBI), Young 1/4 (2B, RBI), Piercefield 2/4 (RBI), Conner 2/4, Edwards 1/4, Pursley 1/1, Pea 2/2 (2 RBI)
Graves: Wimsatt 1/2, Cartwright (RBI)
PITCHING
Marshall: Kemp (W) 6.0 (1 hit, 1 run), Lovett 1.0 (0 hits, 0 runs)
Graves: Wimsatt 4.2 (10 hits, 9 runs), Shoulta 2.1 (3 hits, 1 run)