Danville 18, Mount Gilead 0
In a final pre-KMAC season tuneup, March 28, Danville crushed the Lucas Cubs 12-1. Grace Groneberg pitched four innings of two-hit shutout ball, striking out 11, and Taryn Mickley belted a three-run homer for the Lady Bulldogs. Danville then started their KMAC season with an 18-0 romp over Mount Gilead, March 29, in which Addy Bocock and Addison Mickley combined to no-hit the Indians.
Danville got three in the first. Taryn Mickley bunted for a base hit, stole second and went to third on an error. Addison Mickley singled in the first two runs and with one out, Addison Mickley, who stole second and third, also stole home to make it 3-0.
The Blue Devils tacked on 12 runs in the second on a double, three singles, two doubles, six walks, two hit batters and three errors, to make it a runaway. The Blue Devils got 10 hits, led by Bocock’s two RBIs and Addison Mickley’s two hits. Taryn and Addison Mickley each scored three runs, Addison Mickley stole four bases and Taryn Mickley swiped two. In the circle, Bocock struck out six in three innings and Addison Mickley pitched a hitless inning.
East Knox 14, Utica 11
Utica put five runs on the board in the third to take an 8-2 lead, but East Knox came back with three each in the fourth and fifth, two in the sixth and down 11-10 in the seventh, and put up a four-spot to win a nail-biter 14-11, March 29.
East Knox put up one in the first on a triple by Gracie Sheasby, and Utica tied it on an Emily Meyers double, a stolen base and a ground out. Tied at 2-2 in the third, Utica got five, starting with a Meyers home run, three singles, a walk and an error.
With Utica up 10-8, Hannah McCoy singled for East Knox to lead off the sixth. A sac fly by Sheasby made it 10-9. Natalie Smith then belted a home run to right field to tie the game at 10-10. In the bottom of the sixth, Utica retook the lead at 11-10 on three singles, including an RBI knock by Lauren Schmitt.
Down 11-10 in the seventh, EK got even on an error, a walk, a hit batter and a sac fly by McCoy. A two-run triple by Sheasby gave EK the lead at 13-11, and she scored on a sac fly by Smith to make it 14-11.
Meyers and Schmitt each connected for three hits and Cheyenne Smith drove in three for Utica. Meyers and Kaitlin Evans each homered for the Indians. Five Bulldogs registered two hits each, Smith drove in four runs, Baylee Comer had two doubles, Sheasby connected for a double and a triple and Maddie Smiley joined Smith on the home run parade. Smith also pitched three innings, allowing only one unearned run.
Mount Vernon 13, Ashland 6
Mount Vernon opened their 2023 Ohio Cardinal Conference season with a 13-6 win over Ashland, March 28. Ashland struck first with a run in the first on a homer, and Mount Vernon answered on a bunt single by Kennedi Endsley, a stolen base, an error, an infield single and a fielder’s choice. After Ashland scored twice in the third to take a 3-2 lead, the Lady Jackets put up three to move ahead 5-3. Carly Kennedy doubled, McKenzie Krownapple tripled to tie it, and with two outs, two Arrows errors plated two more. Mount Vernon put the game on ice with six runs in the fifth on four singles and four walks, and they added a pair in the sixth.
Mount Vernon banged out 12 hits, led by three from Endsley and two each from Krownapple. She also had two hits and drove in four runs.
