Ladycats Secure 5-0 Conference Win in Eight Innings

BY NORM BETZ –

The Mena Ladycats traveled to Nashville to face the rival Lady Scrappers, and returned home with an eight inning, 5-0 conference victory. With the win, the Ladycats remain perfect in 4A-7 Conference play with a 5-0 conference record and improve to 17-3 overall on the season.

Ladycats’ junior pitcher Jordan Ward pitched a great game, giving up three hits, walking two batters and striking out 14 of the 27 batters she faced. Ward was extremely efficient throwing 79 strikes out of 109 total pitches, with an average of 14 pitches per inning. Ward was able to get eight batters out on three or less pitches and didn’t allow a leadoff batter to reach first throughout the eight-inning performance. Five innings saw the first two Lady Scrappers go down in order, while three innings featured all three Lady Scrappers returning to the dugout in order.

Each team had one batter reach first base in the first inning, both via a walk.

Sophomore Lexi Brooks reached on an error to leadoff the second inning, while junior Daryan Torix reached on a bunt single. The top half of the inning ended when junior Madi Brotherton grounded out to second base and Brooks was thrown out at home for a double play. Nashville went down in order in the second with a strike out, a ground out to Madi Brotherton, and a pop-up to junior Kristen Kesterson.

Ward, senior Bailey Bunch, and junior Kenzi Spurgin all flew out in the top of the third for the Ladycats. Ward struck out the side in the bottom of the inning, to keep goose eggs on the board through three innings.

Kesterson led off the fourth with a fly out to second base, while junior Macy Brotherton hit a single to center field for Mena’s second hit of the game. Senior Jami Miller entered the game as a courtesy runner but was thrown out stealing second. The top of the fourth ended with senior Lexi Hansard swinging at the third strike. Ward walked one, but struck out three to end the scoreless fourth inning.

Brooks led off the fifth with a hard ground ball right up the middle, and advanced to second on a sacrifice by Torix, but the inning ended on a strike out and a line out to second base. Nashville’s leadoff batter grounded out to Ward, while the next batter reached on a bunt single. Ward ended the inning with a pair of swinging strikeouts. The score remained 0-0 after five innings.

Spurgin reached on a single to left field in the top of the sixth, but was stranded after a pair of fly outs. The Lady Scrappers went down in order on a pair of fly outs and a strikeout.

Hansard, Brooks, and Torix all flew out in the top of the seventh, each to a different out fielder. Ward started off the bottom of the inning with a strike out, but then gave up a single to center field. The inning ended with a fly out to Bunch and a line out to Spurgin. The end of regulation play still featured a 0-0 score.

Torix was placed on second base to start the extra inning, and then Madi Brotherton sacrificed Torix to third on the second pitch. Ward flew out to right field but it was deep enough for Torix to tag up and score the first run of the game. After not scoring a run through seven innings, the Ladycats plated all five runs in the top of the eighth inning with two outs. Feeling the momentum after getting a run, Bunch singled to right field, followed by a double by Spurgin. Kesterson hit an RBI single to center field, scoring Bunch. Spurgin also scored, while Kesterson was knocked home by a two-out double by Macy Brotherton. Miller entered as a courtesy runner and later scored after Hansard singled to center field to give the Ladycats a 5-0 lead headed to the bottom of the eighth inning.

Nashville also had a Lady Scrapper placed on second base to start the bottom of the inning. Ward struck out the first batter looking, on three pitches. The next batter flew out to Spurgin. The third batter Ward faced singled up the middle moving the runner to third base with two outs. Ward secured the 4A-7 Conference win with a three-pitch strike out. Mena won the contest 5-0 in eight innings.

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Jeri Pearson

Jeri is the News Director for Pulse Multi-Media and Editor of The Polk County Pulse. She has 10 years of experience in community focused journalism and has won multiple press association awards.

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