Jackets surge early and cruise over Rams

Annie neipling 300x200


MOUNT VERNON — From a first-swing homer by Hope Straight, the rout was on. The Mount Vernon Yellow Jackets ran the score up to 10-0 after three innings and held on for a 10-0 in five innings over Madison Comprehensive at home Tuesday.

Straight started the game in the circle and held the Rams scoreless for the first inning and helped herself out at the plate, launching a homer to left on the first pitch. Macee Marcum brought Megan Pentz around to score on a double and an Annie Neipling single scored Marcum to push the lead to 3-0 quickly in the first and energize the Jackets.

“It seems like when it’s a big game, they step up,” Mount Vernon coach Mike Marcum said. “We try to really focus on keeping that drive alive, offensively and defensively.”

Madison got the bases loaded in the second, but Straight got a strikeout to end the scoring chance and again put Mount Vernon at the plate. Marcum flexed at the plate again with another double to score Savvy Blubaugh, Straight and Pentz. Straight got aboard after being intentionally walked after her leadoff dinger.

MOUNT VERNON — From a first-swing homer by Hope Straight, the rout was on. The Mount Vernon Yellow Jackets ran the score up to 10-0 after three innings and held on for a 10-0 in five innings over Madison Comprehensive at home Tuesday.

Straight started the game in the circle and held the Rams scoreless for the first inning and helped herself out at the plate, launching a homer to left on the first pitch. Macee Marcum brought Megan Pentz around to score on a double and an Annie Neipling single scored Marcum to push the lead to 3-0 quickly in the first and energize the Jackets.

“It seems like when it’s a big game, they step up,” Mount Vernon coach Mike Marcum said. “We try to really focus on keeping that drive alive, offensively and defensively.”

Madison got the bases loaded in the second, but Straight got a strikeout to end the scoring chance and again put Mount Vernon at the plate. Marcum flexed at the plate again with another double to score Savvy Blubaugh, Straight and Pentz. Straight got aboard after being intentionally walked after her leadoff dinger.

Maddy Burdette got her bat on a ball in the third and it snuck over the fence to score her and Bryn Elliott.

“I just kind of stuck my bat out there and it just went out,” Burdette said. “I didn’t think it was going out.”

The homer put the Jackets ahead 8-0 with no outs in the bottom of the third. A sacrifice fly by Marcum plated Mollie Pentz. Straight squeaked home later in the inning when the Rams tried, unsuccessfully, to catch Megan Pentz in a pickle.

Mount Vernon’s bats cooled off in the fourth, but the pitching and defense remained solid, holding Madison to three baserunners in the final two innings to keep the margin at 10 and enforce the run rule.

In the circle, Straight threw all five innings for the Jackets, allowing only five hits and three walks, while fanning nine Rams.

After her homer, Straight was intentionally walked the rest of the game, finishing the night with a hit, an RBI and three runs scored. Marcum brought around five runs on her two doubles, while scoring once. Burdette kicked in a run and two RBI on her bomb and Elliott had a double and a run scored. Annie Neipling and Megan Pentz each added a single, with Neipling batting in a runner and Pentz scoring two runs of her own.

“They’re a very well-disciplined, great hitting team,” Coach Marcum said. “We’ve proved it time and again. It’s not like they can’t go into slumps and stuff like that, but all-in-all, any one of them can step through with a big hit at some point. I’m very confident in all of them.”

Sloan Kiser pitched four innings for the visitors, allowing seven hits, 10 earned runs with a strikeout and seven walks. At the plate, Julia Litt, Paige Eldridge, Kiser, Becca Stoner and Bailey Lyons each had a base hit.

Mount Vernon improved to 16-0 on the year with a 9-0 record in the Ohio Cardinal Conference, with three league games left. The Jackets and Rams square off today at Madison at 5 p.m.

“We have to come out with the same intensity tomorrow and play the exact same,” Burdette said. “We had energy throughout the whole game, there wasn’t a time when we stopped. When we were up a lot, we still had a bunch of energy.”

[ee] Maddy Burdette got her bat on a ball in the third and it snuck over the fence to score her and Bryn Elliott.

“I just kind of stuck my bat out there and it just went out,” Burdette said. “I didn’t think it was going out.”

The homer put the Jackets ahead 8-0 with no outs in the bottom of the third. A sacrifice fly by Marcum plated Mollie Pentz. Straight squeaked home later in the inning when the Rams tried, unsuccessfully, to catch Megan Pentz in a pickle.

Mount Vernon’s bats cooled off in the fourth, but the pitching and defense remained solid, holding Madison to three baserunners in the final two innings to keep the margin at 10 and enforce the run rule.

In the circle, Straight threw all five innings for the Jackets, allowing only five hits and three walks, while fanning nine Rams.

After her homer, Straight was intentionally walked the rest of the game, finishing the night with a hit, an RBI and three runs scored. Marcum brought around five runs on her two doubles, while scoring once. Burdette kicked in a run and two RBI on her bomb and Elliott had a double and a run scored. Annie Neipling and Megan Pentz each added a single, with Neipling batting in a runner and Pentz scoring two runs of her own.

“They’re a very well-disciplined, great hitting team,” Coach Marcum said. “We’ve proved it time and again. It’s not like they can’t go into slumps and stuff like that, but all-in-all, any one of them can step through with a big hit at some point. I’m very confident in all of them.”

Sloan Kiser pitched four innings for the visitors, allowing seven hits, 10 earned runs with a strikeout and seven walks. At the plate, Julia Litt, Paige Eldridge, Kiser, Becca Stoner and Bailey Lyons each had a base hit.

Mount Vernon improved to 16-0 on the year with a 9-0 record in the Ohio Cardinal Conference, with three league games left. The Jackets and Rams square off today at Madison at 5 p.m.

“We have to come out with the same intensity tomorrow and play the exact same,” Burdette said. “We had energy throughout the whole game, there wasn’t a time when we stopped. When we were up a lot, we still had a bunch of energy.”

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