Mineral Area splits first conference games

ST. LOUIS — The Mineral Area Lady Cardinals softball team reached he .500 mark on Monday, but only for a few hours. Winning the first game of their doubleheader, they improved their winning streak to five games after losing their first five of the inaugural season, but a blitz of hard-hitting by the Meramec Lady Magic in game two halted MAC’s winning streak.

Both  games were conference and region games for the two teams.

Mineral Area 4, Meramec 3

The Lady Cardinals erupted offensively in the second inning after being stopped in the first inning by a Magic double play. Amy Allgier led off the inning with a single, Kelly Kruse drew a walk, and Allgier scored on booted ball at third.

With one out, Devin Pope came up with the big hit of the game  with a three-run home run which would prove to be the winning hit. Jessica Bartlett and Kayla Usher hit one single each in the later innings as Meramec’s pitcher allowed only four hits by Mineral Area.  

Kayla Reuss gave up only one earned run in throwing a five hitter in game one while striking out five of the 29 batters she faced. Both teams only committed two errors each.

Mineral Area 040 000 0 – 4  4  2

Meramec  001 020 0 – 3  5  2

WP- Reuss 7i 3r 1er 4h 5k 3bb.

Hitting: MAC – Usher, Bartlett, Allgier, Pope.  HR- Pope

Mineral Area 2, Meramec 10

The Lady Magic woke up their bats in the second game, pounding out more hits than both teams had together in the  first game. Meramec scored runs in every inning but the fifth. Pitcher Tiffany Stock kept MAC’s bats silenced for the most part on way to a 10-2 win.

Stock only struck out four batters in her seven innings of work, but it was enough as Meramec’s defense did not turn an error in the field. 

The Lady Cardinals once again had a run of hits, this time in the fourth inning. Behind 9-0, Jessica Bartlett ruined Stock’s potential no-hitter with a two-out double down the line.

Stock had retired 11 batters in a row before Bartlett’s double. It opened the floodgates for MAC as Hannah Hummel singled to drive in Bartlett and also took second on the throw. Kelly Kruse drove in Hummel with a single, and Katie Roberts joined her on the bases with an infield hit. 

A two-run blast in the second inning highlighted Meramac’s offensive attack and Erin Napier came though with some clutch hitting to drive in four runs with her three hits. Two of her three hits came with two-men out. Neither team committed a defensive error in the game.

Mineral Area will play next on Wednesday at Florissant Valley.

Mineral Area  000 100 0 – 2  5  0

Meramec  143 101 x – 6  13  0

WP- Stock  7i 2r 5h 4k 1bb.

Hitting: MAC – Hummel 2, Bartlett, Kruse, Roberts.  2b- Bartlett.