Hornettes Win Two Of Three

Weather cancelled a couple contests for the Hornettes this past week, but Nashville still managed to get three games in. On April 16, the Hornettes picked up a big conference win over Carterville. After rain cancelled the plans to have an eight team NIT on April 20, the Hornettes were able to get the field in playing condition for a couple games on Saturday. The eight team NIT was scrapped and turned into a four team tournament between Central, Murphysboro, Nashville and Sesser-Valier/Waltonville.

The Hornettes got three runs in
the second inning and made the lead stick as Nashville defeated Carterville 3-1 on April 16.

Whitley Hunter got the scoring started as she led off the top of the second with a solo home run. Nashville doubled their lead a few batters later as Olivia Cook drove in a run on a fielder’s choice. The third run would come when Ryan Stiegman scored on an error to give Nashville a 3-0 lead.

It was a pitchers duel in the middle innings as neither team got much going offensively. Josie Woodrome, who was in the circle for Nashville kept Carterville off the board until the bottom of the seventh inning. After a lead-off double, the Lady Lions scored their lone run of the game. Woodrome would not give up any more as she got the next two batters out via the strikeout, and a lineout to short to end the game.

Woodrome pitched all seven innings and gave up seven hits. Woodrome gave up just one earned run and struck out seven.

Offensively, the Hornettes were led by Stiegman and Guinzy who each finished with two hits and a run scored. Hunter finished 1-3 with a RBI and a run scored. Heck singled and walked in the win. Cook drove in a run in the game.

The Hornettes weren’t back on the field until April 20 when they took on Central. The Hornetts won another low-scoring contest as they defeated the Lady Cougars 4-2.

Central took the early lead as they pushed across two runs in the top of the third inning. The Hornettes would get a run back in the bottom half, as back to back doubles from Sophie Heck and Libby Ahlers cut the Central lead in half.

The score would hold until the fifth, when Woodrome drove in a run to tie the game. Hunter then doubled in Ashlyn Frazier and Jenna Harris to give Nashville their first lead of the game at 4-2. The Hornettes would then close out the game in the sixth, as the two teams reached the 1.5 hour time limit that had been agreed upon before the start of the contest.

Woodrome led the way with two hits and a RBI. Hunter drove in two runs on one hit. Ahlers finished 1-2 with a RBI. Heck doubled and scored a run in the win. Krueger finished the game with a hit. Cook, Frazier, and Harris each scored a run for Nashville.

Woodrome went six innings in the circle. She scattered seven hits, and gave up two earned runs. Woodrome struck out three and walked two.

Nashville played Murphysboro later that day after Murphysboro disposed of Waltonville/Sesser-Valier. Nashville rushed out to a 6-1 lead in this one before Murphysboro stormed back to take a 13-8 win.

After Murphysboro scratched across a run in the first, the Hornettes came back with three runs of their own. Harris drove in a run with a single, and Guinzy drove in two more with a double to give Nashville an early 3-1 lead.

Nashville added to their lead in the second as Heck crushed a two run bomb to give the Hornettes a 5-1 lead.

The Hornettes then would add another insurance run in the third when Cook doubled home Krueger. By the end of the third, the Hornettes led 6-1.

Murphysboro came alive starting with the fourth inning.  Murphysboro scored two in the fourth, three in the fifth, and put the game out of reach with seven runs in the sixth. The Hornettes tried to rally, but only came up with two runs in the bottom of the sixth. At the end of six, the time-limit had been reached and Murphysboro took a 13-9 win.

Coach Shaun Renth praised Murphysboro after the game. “They are a good team. Murphy is a real good team. They swing the bats awfully well. I thought our pitchers were fine today. We just have to make plays for them. We can’t give extra outs to good teams, and that’s what we did in that game.”

Three players had multiple hits for Nashville Heck finished 2-4 with two RBIs, both coming on the two-run home run. Hunter finished the game 3-4. Harris drove in a run on two hits. Guinzy doubled and drove in two run. Cook doubled, walked, and drove in a run. Stiegman doubled and notched a RBI. Taylor Rapp walked and finished with a RBI. Woodrome singled and scored twice. Donato singled and scored a run. Krueger scored two runs, and Frazier scored one run in the loss.

Guinzy pitched the first five innings of the game. Guinzy gave up nine hits, five earned runs, and struck out four. Harris pitched one inning in relief. Harris gave up five hits, six earned runs, and struck out one.