Lady Eagles Finish Top Three In State
As the 2022 season approaches for the Sullivan Lady Eagles softball team, we look back on a stellar 2021 season and, even with seniors having departed for their college careers, Sullivan has high hopes in the returning players.
In the 2021 season, the ladies secured their 14th straight district championship after the defeat of Owensville, 10-3. Sullivan has qualified for six final fours. Sullivan has finished third or better in each of the last four seasons, the Lady Eagles placing third twice before, in 2011 and 2018. They were runner ups in 2003, 2016, and 2019.
Kayla Ulrich led the team with 12 home runs and 54 RBIs and Sophia Weirich followed with five home runs and 49 RBIs. The All-District honor players led the team all year to another great season. Jaedin Blankenship slammed three home runs and scored 31 RBIs. Funkhouser earned three home runs and 25 RBIs. Lohden got three home runs and 20 RBIs. Branson finished with 20 RBIs.
After the season opening tournament, Sullivan played Windsor at home. They dominated the Lady Owls in five innings, 12-2. The Lady Eagles scored five runs in the first and third innings. Ulrich smacked a home run during the game and Jaedin Blankenship was the winning pitcher.
The Lady Eagles traveled to Gasconade County and won the next two games, beating Hermann 19-0 and Owensville 10-0. The wonderful pitching of Jaedin Blankenship resulted in a no-hitter against Hermann. Sullivan defeated Hermann in five innings and scored in every single one of them. Their biggest scoring inning was the third with six runs at one at bat. Sophomore Morgan Braun went 2-for-3 on that game with 5 RBIs. Evvie Blankenship pitched the shutout against Owensville. Ulrich nailed another home run against Owensville, and she went 2-for-3.
After picking up two losses, the Lady Eagles continued their domination against Union at home. Sullivan defeated the Lady Wildcats 8-0. Jaedin Blankenship shutout Union and only allowed four hits. She struck out 11 batters. Weirich popped a grand slam in the fifth inning to secure the win.
Two days later, Sullivan traveled to St. Clair and won 17-0. Lohden pitched the no-hitter for the victory over the Lady Bulldogs. Sullivan secured the victory thanks to ten runs in the first inning. Sullivan recorded six runs in the third inning as well and had zero errors to encapsulate their flawless performance.
Sullivan dominated a tournament that weekend, and used the intensity in a game at Fort Zumwalt West to win a close battle, 2-1. Sullivan claimed the win in the fifth inning courtesy of a sacrifice ground out made by Weirich which scored Ulrich.
Sullivan kept the motivation the next games and dominated St. James and New Haven. Lohden took the mound again for Sullivan against the Lady Tigers and pitched a shutout, 16-0. She pitched four innings and recorded four strikeouts. Along with an extraordinary day on the mound, she also smacked a home run. Funkhouser powered two home runs at the same game. Sullivan traveled to New Haven and defeated the Lady Shamrocks, 14-2. Evvie Blankenship pitched the first three innings and Jaedin Blankenship closed the game out. The two recorded an amazing 15 strikeouts between them.
Sullivan fell to Rolla 2-3 and beat Pacific 8-3 to finish out September. Sullivan added three runs in the fifth inning to help secure the win against Pacific. Evvie Blankenship pitched the first two innings and Jaedin Blankenship pitched the last five innings. Sullivan recorded 15 strikeouts over the two games.
October started and after Sullivan split games against Fatima and Nixa, Sullivan traveled to Lutheran South. The Lady Eagles beat Lutheran South, 15-0. Lohden got the last strikeout to end the game and scored a home run. Ulrich secured the win with a homerun of her own. Sullivan defeated St. Francis Borgia, 5-2. Evvie Blankenship earned the victory on the rubber and Jaedin Blankenship pitched in relief. Sullivan totaled eight hits in the game and Ulrich went 3-for-4.
After a tournament in Columbia, Sullivan continued their powerhouse performance and ran over St. Clair at home, 15-0. Sullivan went three pitchers in just four innings to secure the victory. The Lady Eagles shut out St. Clair and recorded ten strikeouts. Weirich slammed another home run for the win in the first round of Class 3, District 9 softball tournament. Later that week, Sullivan bullied Ursuline Academy, 17-7. Ulrich had an incredible game and went 4-for-4 at the plate. Ulrich doubled in the first, singled in the second, homered in the third, and tripled in the fourth. Sullivan still won despite Ursuline Academy scoring five runs in the second inning. Sullivan pulled away in the same inning scoring seven runs and the next inning scored five more runs.
Later that weekend, Sullivan secured their 14th straight district championship over Owensville, 10-3. Jaedin Blankenship pitched all seven innings and recorded a staggering 12 strikeouts. Funkhouser flamed a home run on the game and Evvie Blankenship, Jaedin Blankenship, and Weirich each got a double. The Lady Eagles recorded a total of nine RBIs to help secure the victory.
Sullivan surged past Logan-Rogersville the next week, 7-0. The victory over Logan-Rogersville sent Sullivan to another final four. Jaedin Blankenship pitched all seven innings and recorded eight strikeouts in the game. Sullivan tallied seven hits in the game and recorded four RBIs. Jaedin Blankenship showed persistence all season to help the Lady Eagles earn another trip to State.
Sullivan lost their first game but defeated Perryville to finish third place in the state championship tournament. Evvie Blankenship pitched all seven innings to record the shutout. The freshman had a staggering six strikeouts to help secure the win. Branson scored a damaging double on the game and Weirich smashed another home run.
It was a great year that keeps hopes high for returning players.