ORIGINALLY WRITTEN TOM STOPPEL
The Marion softball team met little resistance in their games against the Cardinals in Brookville Friday, winning 11-0 and 15-0.
Scoring 26 runs gave the appearance the offense led the way, but it was actually the Warrior pitchers who did.
In the opener, Megan Moore white-washed the Cardinals through two innings, allowing no hits and striking out four.
Leann Thomas finished the final three innings and completed the no-hitter. Thomas threw to 11 batters, and struck out five.
The Warrior offense, meanwhile, struck early and often, hitting the Cardinals with six first inning runs on five hits.
In Game 2, Thomas got her first start of the season and kept her hot arm from the opener, allowing five hits in five innings and striking out five.
Holt threw the final inning in relief, allowing no hits, to combine with Thomas for a three-hit shut out.
Marion methodically scored in four of six innings, for the 11-0 win.
With the sweep, the Warriors raised their record to 14-2.
Canton-Galva-Marion easily disposed of the Eagles last Tuesday, 21-0 and 12-2.
In the opener, Eagle pitching struggled to find the plate and Eagle had difficulty fielding the ball, enabling the Warriors to score 21 runs on 12 hits.
Warrior pitching, meanwhile, a combined effort from Kara Holt and Megan Moore, allowed just one Eagle hit and struck out nine.
Clearly outmatched, the Eagles never quit, but weren’t able to compete effectively.
Eagles pitching surrendered 11 walks, including nine by starter Emilie Gill in just 11/3 innings, and the Canton-Galva defense committed 12 errors.
Marion scored four runs in the first and added back to back eight run innings in the second and third inning, to erase any doubt as to the outcome of the contest.
“We got a lot of base running practice and sliding practice in,” Marion coach Charlotte Waner said. “We also did a better job of picking up our signs.”
Catlin O’Dell led the Warrior offense with three hits, while Sarah Williams, Emmy Bowers, Whitney Wear and Amber Richmond each added two .
The Eagles lone hit was a one-out double in the top of the third by freshman Dani Bair.
“Mentally, we did a good job in the first game, but the second game was really difficult,” Waner said.
In Game 2, Waner not only rested some front-line players, but gave valuable game time to some of her reserves.
“I’m glad that all my girls got the chance to see the field and get some playing time,” Waner said. “Everyone got to play at least one full game.”
Canton-Galva actually led in the second game, jumping to a 2-0 lead in the third inning.
The score remained that way until the fourth inning when the Warrior bats came alive.
Emmy Bowers laced a one-out home run making the score 2-1. This was followed by four Warrior singles, driving home four more runs, giving the home team a 5-2 lead.
Marion scored four more runs in fifth and three in the sixth for the 12-2 run-rule victory.
Nikki Moody led the offensive barrage with three hits. O’Dell and Bowers had two hits apiece.
Warrior pitchers Holt and Moore allowed just three hits, while striking out 10 Eagles.
Coming-Next action scheduled for the Warriors was a double-header at Marion against Chase County on Tuesday and they travel to Wichita to battle Trinity on Friday.
