Shelby scores 19 to power past Highland
Shelby Lady Whippet softball rallied from an early deficit to defeat Highland, 19-9 Wednesday evening at Highland.
The Lady Whippets fell behind 5-0 after the first inning, but scored 19 runs in the final five innings to blow the game open.
The Whippets smacked 13 hits, walked seven times and took advantage of six Highland errors to score 19 runs in the MOAC contest.
Kelsey Snyder pitched a solid five innings of relief to pick up the victory. Snyder entered in relief of Lexi Booker and held Highland to 1 runs over five innings, allowing two hits and striking out five.
“Kelsey Snyder did a great job of coming in and finishing the game for us,” Shelby coach.sami Martin said.
Shelby broke through in the third inning, scoring eight runs. Katie Taylor reached via an error and Karlie Walp walked. Taylor scored on a passed ball, Natalie Kennard singled to move Walp to third. Kendal Parsons walked to load the bases.
Mallary Gundrum stroked an RBI single. After Braylee Sturts hit an RBI groundout, Lexi Booker smacked a double to right field to knock in Gundrum and tie the score at 5. Kennedy Studer singled, Taylor then reached on another Highland error that scored two runners. Walp hit a single that scored Taylor to make the score 8-5.
Highland battled back, scoring three runs in the bottom of the third to tie the score at 8-8. Then added a run in the bottom of the fourth to take a 9-8 lead.
The Lady Whippets responded with a run in the top of the fifth, then took the lead, scoring two runs in the sixth inning. After Parsons singled and Gundrum doubled, Booker drilled another single that scored both runners, putting Shelby up 11-9 in the sixth.
Shelby then blew the game open, scoring 8 runs in the top of the seventh inning.
“Highland came out hitting the ball well and we just seemed a little off. But the girls adjusted and played small ball to get things going offensively,” Martin said.
Kennard, Parsons, Gundrum, Booker, Kennedy Studer and Walp all had two hits. Parsons, Booker and Gundrum each belted doubles.
Maggie Bogner added a base hit. Booker led Shelby with three RBIS. Bogner, Sturts and Walp each had two RBIS. Parsons, Gundrum, Studer and Tayler each knocked in a run.
Booker pitched the first two innings, allowing eight runs (5 earned), seven hits and walking two.
The Lady Whippets are now 8-1, 6-0 on the season.
The Lady Whippets play in one of the biggest high school tournaments in the state this weekend, the MVD Invitational at Marshall Park in Ontario. Shelby begins the weekend playing Ashland Friday evening at 5.
Then in a much anticipated matchup, featuring two of the area’s best teams, Shelby versus Lexington at 9 Saturday morning. Shelby then caps off the weekend playing Norwayne, Saturday at 1 p.m.
To begin next week, Shelby hosts Lexington on Monday, then travels to River Valley Tuesday.