Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Mercy 7 Lone Oak 2 (KHSAA State Tournament)
#1
Final

Mercy (35-8) will play the winner of Boyle County/Ryle tomorrow at 9:00 AM. Lone Oak (37-5) will play the winner of North Laurel/Green County at 7:00 PM.
#2
OWENSBORO, KY. — One of two teams left in the winners’ bracket, Mercy Academy is sitting pretty in the chase for its first fast-pitch softball state championship.

Sophomore shortstop Erika Downey knocked in three runs and had a solid performance in the field as the Jaguars defeated Lone Oak 7-2 Friday in a winners’ bracket semifinal of the Rawlings/KHSAA State Tournament at Jack C. Fisher Park.

The Jaguars (35-8), ranked No. 4 in the state, will face unranked Boyle County (33-11) at 10 a.m. EDT today in the winners’ bracket final. Boyle County defeated Ryle 7-3 in the other winners’ bracket semifinal.

“You want to stay in the winners’ bracket … and not having to play another one (in the losers’ bracket) and getting to bed early are big things,” Mercy coach Josh Bloomer said. “Boyle is hot and has a good pitcher (junior Hannah Miniard). We’ll just see what we can do.”

Downey and Morgan Meyer both went 2 for 4 as Mercy finished with seven hits and took advantage of six Lone Oak errors.

The Jaguars scored two unearned runs in the second inning for a 2-0 lead, and Downey’s two-run single made it 4-1 in the third. Alex Sohl’s RBI triple pulled Lone Oak within 4-2 in the top of the fifth, but Downey answered with an RBI single in the bottom half for a 5-2 lead.

Downey also had six assists and two putouts at shortstop.

“She’s the best shortstop in the state of Kentucky,” Bloomer said. “It looks easy at times for her, but some of those plays were tough. She has great hands and an unbelievable arm. There’s a reason colleges are on her.”

Senior J.J. Francis (25-4) got the victory, allowing seven hits and striking out two.

Mercy’s bigger win Friday may have been its first one, when it rallied for a 2-1, 10-inning victory over No. 3 Greenwood.

The Jaguars trailed 1-0 with two out in the bottom of the seventh when Lauren Springhetti singled to left to score Downey.

Greenwood loaded the bases with two out in the top of the 10th and Angela Adkins sent a drive into the left-center gap, where Mercy’s Aubrey Meiners made a diving catch to end the inning.

Meyer led off the bottom of the 10th with a bunt single — her fourth hit of the game — and moved to second on Morgan Ellington’s infield hit. Freshman Jordan Vorbrink then singled to left-center, scoring Meyer for the game-winning run.

Mercy freshman Leigh Ellen Thomas (7-0) entered in the third inning and pitched eight innings of scoreless relief, allowing four hits and three walks and striking out four.http://www.courier-journal.com/article/2...ext|Sports

Forum Jump:

Users browsing this thread: 13 Guest(s)