(by Don Meador)
The Allen County-Scottsville Lady Patriot softball team overcame a 3-0 deficit to cruise to a 19-7 win over Bowling Green Monday night at Lady Patriot Field in Scottsville. Freshman Brooklyn Oliver recorded the win in the circle for the Lady Patriots.
Bowling Green opened the contest with three consecutive singles in the top of the first inning. A fielder’s choice and a sacrifice bunt followed to stake the visiting Lady Purples to a 3-0 lead. However, the margin would disappear quickly in the home half of the first.
A single by Ally Anderson, a steal of second and third, led to Anderson scoring on a Bowling Green error. After back-to-back walks by Payton Hopkins and Oliver, Maddie Gray would reach base on an error on a play that scored Hopkins. Allison Wheat, the courtesy runner for Oliver, later scored to tie the game at three. Moments later, Kinlee Sikes, the runner for Gray, scored on a wild pitch. AC-S’s fifth and final run in the inning would come as Shiloh Knievel slid head first to the plate to score following a sacrifice bunt.
Bowling Green singled twice but could not score in the second. In the home half of the inning, Addy Law was hit by a pitch to start the inning. Anderson followed with a double. Law and Anderson scored on Hopkins’ double to left field. After a walk by Oliver, Maddie Gray’s double plated Hopkins and Wheat. After walks by Aubrey Williams and Allie Smith, a two-RBI single by Haiden Brown lifted the Lady Patriots to an 11-3 lead.
Bowling Green refused to go without another charge. The Lady Purples used a triple, three singles, and a walk to push four runs across in the third, narrowing the AC-S lead to four. However, the Lady Patriots all but put the game away in their at bat in the third.
After Anderson reached on a walk to start the inning, she moved to second, and later scored on a passed ball. Oliver singled before Gray blasted her second home run of the season. The two-run shot lifted the hosts to a 14-7 lead. After Bowling Green (3-8) changed pitchers, Anderson ripped a triple to center followed two walks and two hit batters. The speedy Anderson reached third and quickly moved home after a throwing error by Bowling Green. The score capped the eight-run ending and ended the scoring for the night.
Anderson finished with three hits, four runs scored, and three RBI’s---a home run away from the cycle. Gray’s night included three hits and five RBI’s. Hopkins, Brown, and Oliver added hits in the fifth inning game. Lady Patriot batters walked nine times and reached base three times after being hit by a pitch. Defensively, Oliver allowed nine hits and seven runs. Maddie Strain pitched the final two innings giving up two hits in the seven batters she faced.
AC-S (9-5) enters District 15 play Tuesday with a road game at Glasgow (1-9).