Shelby advances in rout
By CHUCK RIDENOUR Daily Globe Sports Editor
For the second day in a row, Shelby was fueled by a fast-starting offense.
The Lady Whippets piled up four first-inning scores en route to an 11-1 thumping of Tiffin Columbian during a Division II Sectional semifinal game on the red and gray diamond.
SHS now hits the road Friday for a 5 p.m. clash at Bellevue with a sectional championship on the line.
Entering the week, Shelby coach Sami Martin said the message to her club was simple.
“Trust your training, have fun and play more relaxed,” noted Martin.
Like their 10-7 win a day earlier against conference rival Ontario, the Whippets started fast.
After getting out of the top of the first unscathed after the Tornadoes loaded the sacks with three two-out walks, SHS went to work immediately.
Lexi Thompson reached on an infield single and scored on Maggie Bogner’s double into the gap. Mallary Gundrum then hammered a two-run shot over the right-center fence for a 3-0 lead. Demi Hipp drove in the fourth run of the frame with basehit to left.
Shelby pushed across six in the second to make it 10-1.
Bogner singled and Gundrum was intentionally walked. Smith responded with a towering three-run homer to centerfield. Trinity Baker and Kendal Parsons supplied RBI hits. Thompson hit into a fielder’s choice to bring in the sixth run of the stanza.
Smith laced a single to center and plated the 11th run of the game in the fourth. She also totaled four RBI in the game.
The Whippets belted a pair of Tornado pitchers for 20 hits.
Bogner, Gundrum, Smith and Hipp paved the way with three apiece. Thompson, Booker and Parsons each had two. Alyssa Neill and Trinity Baker also had a hit.
Kelsey Snyder came on with two away and the bases loaded in the first and finished for the win. She struck out seven and walked two and allowed a run on four hits. Haley Kutscher took loss and was roughed up for 10 runs on 14 hits with one strikeout and one walk.
The meeting with Bellevue is the second of the season. The two met Apr. 15 on the SHS diamond with the visitors winning a 10-9 decision.
“Obviously, Bellevue has a great softball culture. They have a nice pitcher and they’re going to hit the ball, put the ball in play and play defense. We’ll have to play at their level,” said Martin.
Today the Shelby hosts Ontario in a MOAC contest.