ORIGINALLY WRITTEN TOM STOPPEL
The Marion-Florence/Peabody-Burns softball team blasted Wichita Collegiate Friday in a pair of run-rule victories, 16-0 and 13-3.
“The girls played hard and played very well,” coach Charlotte Waner said. “We did what we needed to do.”
In the opener, the Warriors clung to a 1-0 lead after two innings. In the third, Marion found its stroke and bashed Spartan pitching for four runs. A 10-run surge in the fourth inning ended the game.
Alli Maddox led the Warriors’ 12-hit attack with three hits, including a pair of doubles. Erica Geis, Kara Holt and Lanna Carroll each had two hits; one of Carroll’s was a triple.
Sonja Steinborn was the winning pitcher, allowing only four hits.
The Warriors picked up the sweep behind the pitching of Valerie Hett, who allowed eight hits against 24 batters.
After the Spartans took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, the Warriors scored in every at-bat, amassing 11 hits. Becky Morris, Maddox, Lauren Helmer and Jandee Sharp each had two.
“The girls had a lot of fun and it should be a good momentum builder heading into Augusta on Tuesday,” Waner said.
With the sweep, the Warriors entered regional play with a 7-13 record.
Smoky Valley-What began as a festive doubleheader Tuesday in Lindsborg, ended in frustration as the Marion-Florence/ Peabody-Burns softball team lost two one-run games, 14-13 and 12-11.
In the opener, the Warriors raced to a 10-2 advantage after 31⁄2 innings only to have the Vikings score three runs in the fourth and nine runs in the fifth.
The Warriors, taking advantage of nine walks, scored five runs in the first three innings without the benefit of a base hit.
It wasn’t until the fourth inning that Kari Tajchman and Allie Maddox hit consecutive singles and Kara Holt doubled.
Trailing 10-5 heading into the bottom of the sixth, Smoky Valley used five base hits and five walks against pitcher Sonja Steinborn to take a 14-10 lead.
The Warriors’ comeback attempt included a single run in the sixth and two in the seventh. But the game ended with the bases loaded.
The Warriors had six hits, including two by Lanna Carroll. But five errors contributed to their demise.
Steinborn, who took the loss, allowed eight hits and eight walks in six innings.
In Game 2, Valerie Hett was on the mound and watch the Warriors take a quick 2-0 lead in the opening inning.
Smoky Valley broke through against Hett in the third inning with three runs on one hit. The Warriors committed three errors in the inning.
The Warriors built a 6-3 lead in the fourth inning and stretched it to 8-3 in the fifth.
But the Vikings rallied with a six-run fifth to take a 9-8 lead. Each team scored one run in the sixth.
With Smoky Valley leading 10-9 heading into the final inning, the Warriors scored twice in the seventh inning runs when Lauren Helmer led off with a walk and Morgan Cady and Carroll both singled.
Victory appeared to be within reach when Hett retired the first two hitters in the bottom of the seventh. But the Vikings’ last four batters produced three singles and a walk to provide the one-run cushion.
The Warriors’ seven hit attack was led by Holt, Cady and Carroll with two base hits each.
Seven Warrior errors contributed to the Viking win. Hett, who took the loss, allowed 12 hits and three walks.
