The Marion High softball team split a double header Thursday against Halstead.
A pitcher’s duel in the first game saw the Dragons snap a 0-0 tie in the top of the seventh and the Warriors rally in the home half for a 3-1 victory.
Marion, trailing by a run and having managed only one baserunner in 18 at-bats made the most of a miscue by Halstead shortstop Ashley Douglas.
Following a pair of goundouts to second base, Kristen Waner singled to left field. Morgan Cady doubled and Kari Tajchman followed with a single.
A walk to Erica Geis set the stage for Lauren Helmer, who delivered a two-run single.
Sonja Steinborn allowed five baserunners and struck out six in seven innings.
Allowing four runs in the opening frame put the Warriors in a hole to start Game 2.
Douglas, pitching and batting clean-up, washed her hands of the earlier error with a two-run single. She also scored two runs as the Dragons won, 8-4.
Waner drew a walk in the bottom of the second and scored on a single by Tajchman. But consecutive strikeouts stranded Tajchman at third, and Halstead made it 6-2 with a pair of runs in the top of the third. The Dragons added two more for an 8-2 margin in the top of the sixth.
Lanna Carroll and Tacy Taylor each worked a full count into a walk leading off the bottom half. But, facing the heart of the Warrior lineup with runners on first and third, Douglas struck out consecutive batters.
Then Waner put the ball in play, and the Dragon defense waivered long enough for both runners to score.
Douglas finished the inning with another strikeout, her 11th of the game, and the Warriors couldn’t push a runner past second in the last of the seventh.
Coming—After visiting Hillsboro on Friday, the Warriors returned to Marion on Tuesday for a set against Collegiate.
On Friday the team travels to Hoisington to open a series of away games that will also take the Warriors to Lyons May 1 and Sterling May 4.
