STLCC pitchers allow one run to MAC in two games
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Mineral Area catcher Hailey Cantrell receives a pitch during game two of a softball doubleheader against East Central on Saturday, April 13, 2024, in Park Hills. (Matt King, mking@dailyjournalonline.com)
PARK HILLS – The Mineral Area softball team produced a considerable number of hits against the first-place squad in NJCAA Division II Region 16 on Saturday.
But the Cardinals generated just one run during a home doubleheader, and the Archers remained unbeaten in region play with victories of 5-1 and 6-0.
Lily Hurley compiled five strikeouts, and minimized the damage from nine hits allowed for the win in the opener. Two double plays also bolstered her complete game.
A’Kiayah Scales finished 3-for-3 and brought Mineral Area even at 1-1 with an RBI single in the bottom of the second inning.
St. Louis retaliated with three runs in the fourth against starter Taylor Marler. Mackenzie Gieseler notched a go-ahead single, and Gabrielle Bax made it 4-1 with a two-run double.
Bax was 2-for-3 overall, and added her third RBI on a single that followed a leadoff error in the sixth. Gretchen Trello singled twice, and Bailey Davis had an early RBI single for the Archers.
Mineral Area had a runner caught stealing and another thrown out while trying to advance from first to third on a single to center.
Emily Hochstatter, Ainsley Burnett, Leanna Mitts, Sophie Meyer, Hailey Cantrell and Chelbi Poucher each singled for the Cardinals.
Marler surrendered five runs, four earned, on seven hits and two walks while striking out four and going the distance.
St. Louis controlled game two for its eighth consecutive victory overall behind shutout pitching from Aaralyn Ranck, who tallied three strikeouts and walked two in a seven-hitter.
Trello homered against MAC lefty Leanna Mitts in the opening frame, and the Archers extended a 3-0 advantage with three more runs in the top of the sixth.
Ranck worked around a leadoff single by Cantrell and walk to Cameron Hayes with no outs in the seventh by dispatching the top of the order in succession.
Burnett paced the Cardinals by going 2-for-4. Madison Yount, Hochstatter, Mitts and Scales also contributed singles in defeat.
St. Louis (35-9, 10-0) will occupy the top line on the upcoming Region 16 tournament bracket. The No. 2 seed will be settled Tuesday between Mineral Area (11-22-1, 4-6) and Moberly.
Keira Chrisco drove in two with her second single from the leadoff spot, and McKenna Schuler was 1-for-1 with a double, sacrifice bunt and walk for the Archers. Abby Bellamy doubled and scored.
Mitts was charged with four earned runs, and yielded nine hits plus three walks over seven innings.
