The Marion softball team improved to 9-1 in Heart of America competition, 9-5 overall after sweeping Canton-Galva and Inman last week.
Canton-Galva?The Warriors gave starter Shelby Felvus plenty of run support in a 20-3 Game 1 victory Friday.
Marion plated five runs off three hits and two errors in the first inning. Felvus, herself, led off with a double, and Sam Davies and Elizabeth Meyer contributed RBI singles in the frame.
After a scoreless second inning, Canton-Galva scored in the third inning. Alex McKim hit a two-out single, and Taylor Everett drove in a run with a triple.
Shayla Kline keyed a three-run fourth inning with a two-RBI triple, and Marion led, 8-1, after five innings.
The Warriors added three runs off a pair of hits in the sixth. Canton-Galva countered with two runs off two hits and an error in the bottom of the inning. Sierah Nordstrom and Nicholle Wilhelm each hit singles. That made it 11-3 heading into the seventh.
Marion blew the game open with nine runs off four hits and four errors. Reann Hamm highlighted the frame with an RBI double.
Marion had 13 hits. Felvus was 4-for-5 and had one RBI. Kline was 3-for-5 and had five RBIs. Meyer was 2-for-4 and had three RBIs.
Felvus earned the pitching win, scattering seven hits and three runs (two earned) over seven innings while walking two batters and striking out two.
For Canton-Galva, Zoe Unruh was 2-for-3. She absorbed the loss, giving up 13 hits and 20 runs (10 earned) in seven innings while walking nine batters and striking out two.
Marion won Game 2 in six innings, 15-4.
Both Everette and Felvus pitched two shutout innings before each team scored one run in the third inning. For Marion, Kourtney Hansen led off with a single and later slid safely home when Kline reached base on the fielder?s choice. Canton-Galva then used a hit and an error to tie the game.
Marion scored a pair of runs in the fourth inning and added four more in the fifth to lead, 7-1.
The Warriors scored eight runs without a hit in the sixth inning, aided by a pair of errors, five walks and two hit-by-pitches.
Canton-Galva mustered three runs off two hits and two errors in the bottom of the inning, which was highlighted by Nordstrom?s two-run double.
Felvus earned the win, giving up five hits and four runs (two earned) in six innings of work. She walked no one and struck out five.
Everette absorbed the loss, giving up four hits and 14 runs in 51?3 innings while walking 10 batters and striking out no one.
Hansen was 2-for-2 and had two RBIs.
?I?m seeing a lot of strengths,? coach Jennifer Felvus said. ?Great base-running. Pitching was awesome tonight. Our defense made some incredible plays. And we?re hitting the ball.
?There were some things that didn?t go our way. We had a couple errors, a few hitting mistakes too?getting under the ball and stuff?but overall, I felt like we played a really strong night of softball.?
Inman?With a week-long span between outings, Marion swept two games Tuesday.
Coach Jennifer Felvus praised her team?s efforts to prepare despite the weather-induced hiatus.
?We worked really hard to stay sharp this week while we waited to play and to make sure we were not taking anything for granted and really focusing on our fundamentals?that we stay strong and ready to go,? she said. ?I think we did a good job preparing.?
The Warriors won Game 1, 3-1.
Marion took the lead early, scoring once in both the first and second innings and tallying five hits through two innings.
The score remained 2-0 until Shelby Felvus hit a one-out home run in the fifth.
Inman scored in the bottom of the seventh inning, aided by a leadoff walk and a pair of errors.
Felvus threw a complete-game one-hitter to earn the pitching win. She gave up one unearned run while walking five batters and striking out 12. Felvus was 3-for-4 and had one RBI.
Marion won Game 2, 17-4.
The Warriors led from start to finish, scoring three runs in the first inning and two in the second without recording a hit. Shayla Kline had Marion?s first hit?an RBI single?in the top of the third. After three innings, Marion led, 7-2, having walked nine times and hit by a pitch twice.
After a scoreless fourth inning, Marion added a pair of runs off a hit and an error in the fifth and scored another in the sixth when Felvus hit a two-out triple and scored on a wild pitch to increase the lead to 10-2.
The Warriors blew the game open with seven runs off five hits and two errors in the seventh. Kline led off with a single, then Kayla Kroupa drove in a run with a triple. Elizabeth Meyer hit an RBI double to continue the hitting streak. Reann Hamm also singled in the inning, and Felvus hit a two-run double.
Inman scored twice in the bottom of the seventh, benefitting from a leadoff walk and an error.
Felvus was 2-for-3 and had two RBIs. Kline was 2-for-3 and had one RBI.
Felvus went the distance to earn the win. Over seven innings, she gave up five hits and four runs (three earned). She walked three batters and struck out five.
?Shelby threw well today, and our hitting was better,? coach Felvus said. ?We left too many on base the first game. I think we left the bases loaded two or three innings, and that?s just not OK, but we?re hitting.
?Overall, our bats were coming around and our base-running was still strong.?