The Danville Blue Devils are off to an 8-1 start, and Coach Charlie Duncan’s group of softball players are getting it done on offense, defense and with stellar pitching, despite Mother Nature being fickle last week.
“I felt our team handled adversity well this week,” said Duncan, who added that the players took the time off to bond over dinner and work on improving.
The Blue Devils have seen all different types of pitching with different speeds and movement, and Duncan is happy with how the team has responded. He praised the play of Abbi Sapp, Jaylyn Smith and Maddy Payne for their work at the plate.
“These girls have put a ton of extra time in,” said Duncan. “Rain outs, they worked on their own. Sundays they are getting swings in. They want it and it’s showing come game time.”
The team has also had incredible pitching from Grace Gronberg (pitched a no-hitter) and Addy Bocock, who have been lights out every time they hit the circle.
Danville 24, Mount Gilead 0
Danville scored early and often against KMAC rival Mount Gilead, with the Blue Devils piling on 22 hits and allowing only one in a 24-0 win on April 9.
Danville put up 12 runs in the first inning, and then followed with eight runs in the second inning to take a commanding 20-0 lead. They were scoreless in the third inning, but the Blue Devils added four runs in the fourth to cap off a monstrous day at the plate.
Grace Gronberg started the game and went four innings, allowing one hit and a walk, while striking out nine batters. Addy Bocock came in for a dominant inning of relief and struck out the side.
Duncan said Gronberg and Bocock want to dominate every pitch, but if they give up a walk or a hit, they shrug it off and move on. He praised their confidence and also the ability to trust their defense and battle through adversity.
“We have a solid 1-2 punch right now,” Duncan said. “This duo is special.”
Addison Mickley doubled and went 4-for-5 with four RBIs and four runs to lead the high powered Danville offense. Alicia Humphrey went 3-for-4 with a triple, four RBIs and two runs scored. Gronberg was 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs. Abi Sapp had a double in a 1-for-2 showing with two RBIs and two runs. Bocock was 3-for-3 with a double, three RBIs and three runs scored.
Mount Gilead’s lone hit was a single by Greer Simpson. Kierra Main also drew a walk.
Danville 16, Fisher Catholic 0
Grace Gronberg was nearly perfect in the pitching circle again, no-hitting the Fisher Catholic Fighting Irish and allowing only one walk in the 16-0 win on April 13.
Gronberg struck our 14 of the 16 batters that she faced in the game. She was also the leading run produce with four RBIs at the dish, going 2-for-3 with a double.
Gronberg started the game by striking out the side, and in the bottom half of the inning the Blue Devils put four runs on the board. Addison Mickley and Smith hit back-to-back singles to start the inning, and then Merista Brown drove in Mickley on a sacrifice fly. Gronberg then drove in Smith on a sacrifice fly of her own. After singles by Ruby Bartock and Sapp, Bocock and Emily Weckesser hit RBI singles.
Gronberg struck out the side again in the second inning, and in the bottom half, Bartock singled in a run to make it 5-0.
Gronberg continued her mastery, striking out the side for the third straight inning in the third. In the bottom half, the Blue Devils scored six more runs. Smith hit a two-run double and Gronberg hit a two-run single to go up by nine. After a Bartock single, Sapp doubled in a pair of runs to go up 11-0.
The Fighting Irish got on base with a walk for the first team after Gronberg struck out the first two batters of the fourth inning. This was their only chance, as Gronberg followed up with a strikeout. In the bottom of the fourth inning, Danville went up by 13 runs on a Brown triple that brought home two runs. Gronberg then hit an RBI double to make it 14-0. After Bartock was hit by a pitch, Sapp hit an RBI double, and then Bartock scored on an error to go up by 160.
Gronberg finished the game with back-to-back strikeouts to complete an impressive day of pitching.
“Grace was one base on ball from a perfect game on Saturday. She knew it,” Duncan said with a laugh. “But it didn’t stop her. She went right back to work and winning the game was her top priority.”
Danville had 21 hits and 14 RBIs as a team. Smith had a double and went 4-for-4 with four runs, and two RBIs. Bartok was 3-for-3 with three runs and an RBI. Sapp went 3-for-4 with two doubles, two RBIs and a run. Bocock went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and a double.
Brown was 2-for-3 with a triple, three RBIs and a run scored. Weckesser also had a big day going 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run.
Danville 16, Worthington Christian 1
Sapp had five RBIs for the Blue Devils, in a 16-1 win over Worthington Christian for the third straight lopsided win on April 13.
After a scoreless first inning, Danville went off for 12 runs in the second inning and four runs in the third inning to put the game out of reach. Sapp was 2-for-5 with a double, five RBIs and a run scored. Payne also doubled in a 4-for-4 day, while driving in a run and scored twice.
Bocock went five innings, allowing only three hits and an unearned run, while striking out 11.
