Bats were hot Tuesday night for the McCracken County Lady Mustangs as they took on Second District rivals, the Paducah Tilghman Lady Blue Tornado. With a 15-2 win, the Lady Mustangs connected for 16 hits as all but two players in the lineup connected at-bat.
McKenzie O’Brien and Cami Clark were perfect at the plate, going 3-for-3 while scoring three runs and 2-for-2 with one run and two RBI respectively. Additionally, Grace Henderson went 3-for-4 with two runs, Addley Leidecker went 2-for-3 with two RBI and KG Walker went 2-for-3 with one run and three RBI to name just a few.
“When you start hitting it’s contagious,” McCracken County head coach Tony Hayden said. “And that’s exactly what happened, we ripped off seven and five run innings and that pretty much opened the door.”
With the opening frame ending scoreless both sides going down in three straight outs, it looked like defense would be king moving forward. That sense grew heading into the top of the second with two outs quickly hitting the board with the Lady Mustangs at-bat.That would all change when Grace Henderson connected for the first base earned on a line drive single. This sparked connection after connection for the visitors O’Brien followed with a single of her own and Cox followed with a double to bring home the first run. A ground ball turned error for Macy Butler turned into a 3-0 ballgame with no signs of the Lady Mustangs stopping.
Ellie Shoulders would tap a bunt for a single to put runners on first and third, giving Raygan Rodgers the two RBI double to make it a 5-0 ballgame. A pair of singles from Walker and Leidecker would advance it to a 7-0 ball game before the Lady Blue Tornado could close out the possession on a fly out to left.
“What was big was with two outs we scored all of those runs,” Hayden said. “She (Mia Bobbitt) dove for a ball and it popped out so we had a good rally on that.”
With AK Hawes in the circle, the Lady Mustangs made for another quick defensive possession, allowing just one hit in the bottom of the second, a line drive single for Kaiden Rodgers. Hawes pitched 3.1 innings allowing four hits, two runs, two earned, while walking out and striking out zero with a 55-29 pitch-strike count against 16 batters.
Opposite Hawes was pitching duo Adrienne Romain and Mia Bobbitt. Romain started the night, allowing five hits, three runs, three earned, and struck out two. Bobbitt came in relief, allowing 11 hits and 12 runs, three earned.
McCracken got back to their scoring ways in the third with Henderson again started the inning with a fly ball single to center field. O’Brien followed with another single and a sacrifice bunt from Cox pushed her teammates around the base paths. Butler scored connected for a two RBI single to make it a 9-0 game.
Looking ahead, the Lady Mustangs will prepare to host Massac County on Thursday night while the Lady Blue Tornado look to bounce back with a trip to Murray on Friday.
McCracken County 15, Paducah Tilghman 2
MCHS 0 7 5 2 1 X X — 15-16-0
PTHS 0 0 0 2 0 X X — 2-4-2
2B: MC — C. Cox, R. Rodgers; PT — Z. Burch
HR: MC — K. Walker
TB: MC — K. Walker 5, C. Cox 3, G. Henderson 3, M. O’Brien 3, R. Rodgers 3, A. Leidecker 2, E. Shoulders 1, M Butler 1; PT — K. Kodgers 2, Z. Burch 2, M. Bobbitt 1.
SB: MC — K. Dowdy, M. Butler, R. Rodgers
Records: McCracken County (20-4); Paducah Tilghman (16-6)
A quick 12-0 ballgame resulted after the top half of the third with Rodgers, Walker and Leidecker all contributing a single RBI apiece.
Paducah Tilghman was able to find the board in the bottom of the fourth after their opponents advanced to 14 runs. Rodgers and Bobbitt started with a pair of singles. Zoe Burch would contribute to the first run on a line drive double, scoring Destiny Elder. Camrynn McMinn followed getting hit by a pitch to load the bases. Hailey Mooney followed with a sac fly to center field to bring Bobbitt home for the 14-2 game.
The final run of the night came courtesy of KG Walker who knocked an over-the-fence homer to left field for the final 15-2 victory.
“We knew that they would be ready for us to come out and play and we know it will be the same when they come to our house,” Hayden said. “You’ve got to get ready to play these district games because they mean a lot so this was a big win for us.”