The Brookfield Lady Dogs softball season may not have started off how they liked it with a loss to Schuyler County on the road. But the familiar confines of Rusk Park, as well as the support of the home crowd, lifted Brookfield to a big win in their first home and Clarence Cannon Conference contest of the season.
“South Shelby lost a lot of kids from last year’s team,” said Brookfield Head Coach Mickey Beach. “We couldn’t afford to lose to a Conference team this early in the season, and we knew that going in.”
Pitcher Paige Drescher was back on the mound for her second start of her junior season. Despite some early hits from the Lady Birds, the defense and Drescher rebounded and came away unscathed in the top of the first.
“I’m glad that we came out tonight with our heads up and ready to play,” said Drescher post-game. “I felt like a lot of my pitches were working really well tonight.”
Drescher helped her own cause with an infield single to lead off the home half of the first inning, and was joined on base by senior catcher Kelsie Frey thanks to a bunt single. But, both runners were left in scoring position thanks to three consecutive outs. After one inning, the game was scoreless.
A pair of strikeouts in the top of the second inning set the tone for the remainder of the contest, and brought the Lady Dogs back to bat. Freshman Sammi Overton started things off with a single. Kelsi Shoop earned a walk, and was replaced on the base pads by Katie Turner. Ashley Kearns layed down a sacrifice bunt, and moved the base runners over to scoring position. McKenzie Roberts slammed a hard shot to the outfield, and broke open the game’s offense with an RBI double.
Drescher slapped a single to bring in one run, and Frey followed this with an RBI double of her own to left-center field. Abby York then cleared the base pads with a two-run triple to the outfield fence. Ashlyn Cupp brought in the final run of the inning with a two-out infield single. After two innings, the Lady Dogs were up 6-0.
The Lady Birds managed an infield single, but could not do anything else in the top of the third. Shoop landed a single to re-start the Brookfield offense in the bottom of the third. Kearns earned a walk, and Roberts loaded the bases with a single. Drescher and Frey both netted RBI’s off of singles to give the Lady Dogs an 8-0 lead after three innings.
South Shelby went three up, three down in the fourth, and Brookfield had little offense in the bottom of the frame, minus a double to the center field fence for Shoop. After four innings, the Lady Dogs were still up 8-0.
“We did a good job out there hitting tonight,” said Coach Beach. “We bunted really well, and that helped get things going.”
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