The Danville softball team traveled to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina to play four games at Ripken Field in some non-conference interstate action. While the Blue Devils took a loss in extra innings to start the trip, they responded with three straight wins.
“Our goal was to go to Myrtle Beach and face some tough competition and dodge that first week Ohio Spring weather,” said Coach Charlie Duncan. “We felt we accomplished that leaving with a 3-1 record.
Grace Gronberg was the star of the trip in the circle, striking out 38 batters in three starts which included tying her own single game school record with 16 punch outs.
IC Catholic Prep 5, Danville 4
The Danville softball team opened up the season on March 25 with a potent hitting attack with 15 hits against IC Catholic Prep of Illinois, but the Blue Devils couldn’t turn those hits into runs as they took a 5-4 loss in nine innings.
The Blue Devils went up 1-0 in the top of the first, as Jaylyn Smith walked and later came around to score. The Knights responded in the bottom half of the inning with a pair of runs, however, to take a one run lead. They tacked on another run in the bottom of the second to make it a 3-1 game.
Danville was able to tie up the game with a pair of runs in the sixth inning. Emily Weckesser doubled to start the inning and later came around to score on a sacrifice fly by Abi Sapp. Merista Brown then knocked a single to right, advanced on a wild pitch, and scored on a single by Addison Mickley.
The Knights took the lead again in the bottom of the sixth with a run to make it 4-3, and then Danville tied up the game in the top of the seventh. Grace Gronberg knocked a triple to left and was driven home on a ground out by Addy Bocock. Weckesser then drilled a double to left, and Ruby Bartok followed with a single, but Weckesser was caught trying to go home.
The Knights won in the bottom of the ninth when Kayla Carrillo drilled a single, driving in Madelynn Dinino who had tripled one batter earlier.
Gronberg was the top Blue Devil with a 4-for-5 day, where she hit a triple and scored a run. Mickley went 3-for-5 with a double and an RBI. Weckesser went 2-for-4 with a pair of triples, and scored a run. Brown was 1-for-2 with a run and an RBI. Smith went 1-for-4 with a double and a walk.
Gronberg pitched eight-and-a-third innings with five runs allowed, three of them earned. She gave up 10 hits and two walks, while striking out nine batters.
“Our first game we lost by 1 run in 9 innings against the undefeated ICCP team from Illinois (currently 8-0),” said Coach Duncan. “We always say we never lose. You win or you learn. I feel this served as a valuable learning experience for our girls. We had our chances and left runs on the base paths. Throughout the week, we identified areas for improvement and things that had to improve, our girls worked hard and did just that
Danville 5, Springfield 0
The Blue Devils bounced back with a 5-0 shutout of Springfield the next day, where Bocock struck out 15 batters in the shutout to capture the first win of the young season.
Gronberg put the Blue Devils on the board in the first inning with an RBI single. She then hit a sacrifice fly in the third inning to go up 2-0. Later in the inning Bocock hit an RBI single and it was a 3-0 game. They tacked on a run in the fifth and sixth inning as insurance.
Bocock allowed only two hits and zero runs, and didn’t allow a walk in what was a dominant performance for the sophomore pitcher. She also went 2-for-3 with an RBI at the dish.
Danville had 10 hits in the win, led by Alicia Humphrey who went 2-for-4 with a triple and two runs. Bartok also tripled and scored a run on a 1-for-3 day. Sapp was 2-for-3 with an RBI. Gronberg knocked in two runs and went 1-for-2.
Danville 13, Madison 0
Gronberg returned to the pitching circle in a 13-0 win for Danville over Madison on March 27, and she was on the top of her game tying her own school record with 16 strikeouts.
She went all seven innings with only one hit allowed, and no walks. Gronberg’s strikeout record is also shared with Stephanie Addair who hit the mark in 1994.
Mickley was a force at the plate for the Blue Devils, going 5-for-5 with a pair of homers, four RBIs and four runs scored. She was also a menace on the base paths with four steals. Gronberg helped her own cause in the game offensively, smashing a homer and a double, while knocking in a pair of runs and scoring one.
Humphrey went 2-for-4 with a double, two RBIs and a run. Brown went 2-for-2 with an RBI and a run. Smith was 2-for-3 with a pair of runs scored, and Sapp also scored twice and went 1-for-3.
Danville 13, Leslie County 1
Danville was firing on all cylinders against Leslie County, smashing 16 hits and allowing only two in a 13-1 win led by another top tier effort by Gronberg.
Gronberg pitched seven innings allowing one unearned run, two hits and no walks. She struck out 13 batters in the win. At the plate, Gronberg went 2-for-4 with three RBIs.
Smith led the charge on offense, going 4-for-5 with an RBI and three runs for the Blue Devils. They were all singles, with hits coming in the first, second, fifth and seventh innings.
Bartok was 3-for-4 with a double, an RBI and two runs. Mickley also doubled in a 2-for-5 day with a pair of runs, and stole two bases.
“Very excited how our pitchers performed,” Duncan said. “Grace tied her own school record with 16 strikeouts in game 3 vs Madison (Cleveland). She was hitting her spots and even had to buckle down during a couple innings with some rain. Also Addy Bocock put up her personal best with an impressive 15 strikeout in game two against Springfield Cleveland. If those two play like that we have chances in any game. Very proud of them.”
