Sullivan Softball Has Successful Second Day

The Lady Eagles softball team continued their weekend at Killian Sports Complex in Springfield. Sullivan played three games on Saturday against Nevada, Battle, and Carl Junction. Sullivan surged past Nevada, 2-1. They fell to the Battle Lady Spartans, 1-0. The Lady Eagles collapsed Carl Junction, 15-0.

Nevada

Hayli Venable’s walk-off single secured the win for Sullivan in the first game on Saturday in Springfield.

Nevada was the first to bounce on the scoreboard at their first at bat. Evvie Blankenship’s performance on the mound made a difference. She pitched all seven innings and sat down seven batters. Blankenship only gave up one run on three hits.

Nevada broke onto the board first during the first at bat of the game. Sullivan answered back in the bottom of the fourth. Venable started the at bat with a line drive double. She advanced on a sacrifice bunt but was out on a fielder’s choice. Morgan Braun hit a line drive single and Grace Halmick advanced. Halmick scored when Kayla Ulrich delivered on a line drive single to right.

In the bottom of the seventh, Sullivan sealed the win. The Lady Eagles put together  a two-out rally. Dorie Richardson hit a ground ball to left and landed on first. She then advanced to second on a passed ball and Hannah Campbell walked. Venable then stepped up to bat and blasted a ground ball to center and Richardson scored to win, 2-1.

Battle

There was strong pitching on both sides in Sullivan’s second game on Saturday. Battle’s pitcher shutout Sullivan, but gave up four hits. She tallied seven strikeouts. Evvie Blankenship was strong on the mound for Sullivan. She only gave up one run on three hits. She secured a staggering eight strikeouts. Braun, Ulrich, Richardson, and Halmick all recorded hits on the day, but Sullivan couldn’t secure a run.

Sullivan fell 1-0.

Carl Junction

Sullivan finished the weekend strong on the mound and at the plate. Ulrich and Alexis Funkhouser slammed home runs in the fifth inning. Ava DeClue pitched all five innings in the game. She only gave up one hit in the shutout victory. DeClue recorded five strikeouts in the 15-0 defeat over the Lady Bulldogs.

In the top of the first, the Lady Eagles scored four runs.

After an out, Ulrich hit a line drive double to center. She scored when Evvie Blankenship doubled right after. Richardson hit a ground ball single and both runners were scored when Hayli Venable hit a line drive single to center. She then stole second and was scored when Funkhouser hit a line drive double to center. Sullivan was up, 4-0.

In the top of the third, Sullivan continued to collapse Carl Junction. After an out, Venable delivered again when she reached first on an error. Funkhouser landed with a ground ball single. Both runners then advanced with Venable scoring when Carli McCreary turned a bunt into a fielder’s choice. Funkhouser scored when Braun singled on a line drive to center. Ulrich then cleared the bases when she hit a fly ball double to right. Sullivan was up, 8-0. Sullivan scored another run at the top of the fourth.

In the top of the sixth, the Lady Eagles secured the win with six more runs. Braun landed on second on a fly ball to center. She was scored when Ulrich launched a homerun to left. Another run was scored when Venable landed at home on an error. Funkhouser was the next batter and she blasted another huge home run to left to secure Sullivan the win, 15-0.