The Mount Vernon softball team improved to 8-4 and 2-0 in conference play with four straight wins, including back-to-back lopsided victories over OCC rivals Ashland and Wooster.
“Hailey had a huge day,” said Coach Ryan Pentz. “All three home runs were no doubters. The ball flys off her bat with a high exit velocity. Any type of lift to the ball and it has a chance to leave the ball park and tonight was a perfect example of that.
Mount Vernon 18, Ashland 3
Hailey Rudrick was a beast at the plate for the Mount Vernon softball team in an 18-3 win over Ashland on April 15, going yard three times and knocking in seven runs to lead the Yellow Jackets.
“Hailey picked up this season where she left off last year and that's being an RBI machine,” said Pentz. “She gets her bat through zone very quickly which gives her the ability to stay in the zone longer which helps her pick up RBIs. She also understands the game very well and understands a fly our or bunt isn't a bad thing if runs are crossing the plate.”
The Yellow Jackets put three runs on the board in the first inning to take an early lead. Keely Pollard hit an RBI double, and then Rudrick smashed a two-run shot to left to go up 3-0. They tacked on another run in the second inning on an RBI double by Rylee Myers.
Then came the third inning, where the Yellow Jackets were relentless in a 14 run attack. Brooklyn Dovenbarger hit a solo homer to start the inning, and then after a Pollard Walk, Rudrick hit her second home run of the day to make it a 7-0 game. Presli Pope hit a sacrifice fly to knock in Meredith Jones who singled earlier in the inning, and Lydia Hill singled to center to go up by nine. Kendell Poole followed with a two run home to centerfield, and then after a single by Dovenbarger and a walk by Layla Joyner, Rudrick hit a three-run homer to increase the lead to 14 runs. Mount Vernon wasn’t done yet, as Jocelyn Scarbury hit an RBI single to left and Miranda Oswalt doubled to knock in a run. Hill doubled in two runs and suddenly it was an 18-0 lopsided affair.
Ashland got on the board in the fourth inning with a Josie Vantilburg two-run double. Brynn Stitzlein singled to right to drive in a run, but the deficit was far too great, and the Yellow Jackets walked away with an easy victory.
Rudrick was 3-for-4 with all of her hits being homers. She drove in seven runs and scored three times to lead Mount Vernon’s offensive explosion. Hill was 2-for-3 with a double, three RBIs and two runs. Dovenbarger was 2-for-4 with a homer, three runs and an RBI. Addison Parker was 2-for-2 with a pair of doubles and a run. Poole was 1-for-2 with a home run.
Ashland was led by Vantilburg, who was 1-for-2 with a double, two RBIs and a run scored.
Parker allowed one hit and struck out five over two innings to pick up the win for the Yellow Jackets.
“She threw two great innings tonight,” said Pentz. “Addi started this year a little slow in the circle, but she is starting to find her groove. It's great timing to find her groove as we get into conference play. She has been an amazing captain on this team and a leader to our younger pitchers.”
Keagan Slater took the loss and went two and one-thirds innings, allowing nine runs but six earned, eight hits and a walk, while striking out a batter.
Mount Vernon 11, Wooster 0
The Yellow Jackets made it four straight wins, and back-to-back blowouts in an 11-0 victory on Senior Night over Wooster on April 16.
“This class will always hold a special place with me as a coach,” said Pentz. “They were my first freshmen class when I was hired as the head coach. They helped mold me as a coach.”
Mount Vernon went up 1-0 when Rudrick drove in Dovenbarger on a sacrifice fly in the first inning. The Yellow Jackets added two more runs on a Pope single in the second inning. Kennedy then bunted in a run to make it a four run lead, and Dovenbarger followed with an RBI single to go up by five. Pollard quickly made it a six run lead on an RBI double, and Rudrick had another sacrifice to go up 7-0.
In the bottom of the third, Pope doubled in a run to make it an 8-0 Yellow Jacket lead. The next inning, Rudrick knocked in a run on a hard single to center, and Parker capped off the scoring with a two run single.
Pollard was 3-for-3 with an RBI and a run, and two of her hits were doubles. Pentz said Pollard has quickly grown out of the freshman stage and become one of the top hitters on the team. He said she is seeing the ball “extremely well.”
“She started the season injured with a broken wrist and due to that injury she started a little slow,” Pentz said. “Keely is just a freshmen but you would never know that when you watch her at the plate. She is natural power hitter that has a bright future.”
Rudrick had three RBIs and a 1-for-1 day. Parker drove in two runs and went 1-for-2. Pope was 2-for-2 with a double, three RBIs and a run scored.
Parker got the win for the Yellow Jackets, going four and two-thirds innings, allowing three hits and three walks, while striking out seven.
“I was proud of how Addi calmed down and got her emotions under control after an emotional senior ceremony,” Pentz said. “After calming her emotions, she pounded the strike zone with a dominating performance."
