North County’s offense makes it short and sweet

POTOSI — The North County Lady Raiders had little trouble in disposing of the Doniphan Donettes as they lit up the hit column with nine hits in four innings for an 11-1 win, The game was stopped in the middle of the fifth due to the 10-run mercy rule.

Four of North County’s nine hits went for extra bases which drove in four runs and all four of the batters also scored. The Lady Raiders defense also factored into the win as they did not commit an error in the game.

Brittani O’Connell gave up only three hits and four walks  in pitching the win for the Lady Raiders.

An 8-2 double play in the top of the first stopped the 5-13 Donettes from their only chance at the lead. Laura Elam made solid catch in medium center and then threw a strike to catcher Megan Parks to gun down Doniphan’s lead-off hitter and pitcher  Sarah Tejada who tagged up and tried to score on the play.

The Lady Raiders drew first blood , taking advantage of a Doniphan error, Kelsey Hall drove in Erica Inman all the way from first with a double. Elam started a three-run rally in the second inning with a one-out double. A pair of Donette errors were backed up by singles off the bats of O’Connell and Kacie Abt.

The scoreboard remained silent for two innings with the exception of Doniphan’s lone run. Kailee Ware drove a ball to the fence in right-center for a two-out triple and then scored on a wild pitch.

The Lady Raiders put together another one of their patented hitting streaks in the bottom of the fourth, scoring seven runs four hits and three Doniphan errors. The Donettes committed a total of six errors in the game.

Parks led off the inning with a single, and upon stealing second, she was sacrificed to third by Abt’s bunt. C.C. Caron singled to score Parks, and Erica Inman drove Abt and Caron home with a one-hop double to the fence. O’Connell rewarded Inman with a trot home as she followed with a triple. 

North County’s last three runs of the inning scored on ground balls by Hall, Dayna Spell and Elam.

Doniphan, facing the 10-run rule, had opportunity to prolong the game another inning with their first two batter reaching on walks. Parks took away the Donettes first chance by throwing out a runner trying to steal third. Inman and Spell worked a ground ball for a force-out at second, and O’Connell took care of a comebacker to end the game.

North County, No. 3 seed, will take on No. 2 De Soto today at 5:30 p.m.

Doniphan  001 00 – 1  3  6

North County  130 7x – 11  9  0

WP- O’Connell 5i 1r 3h 4k 4bb.

Hitting:

Doniphan – Pennington 1-2, Ware 1-3, Tejada 1-3. 3b – Ware.

North County – O’Connell 2-3, Hall 2-3, Inman 1-3, Caron 1-3, Elam 1-3, Parks 1-3, Abt 1-1. 3b- O’Connell, 2b- Inman, Hall, Elam.