DRAFFENVILLE – Between lightning and rain shower delays, the Region 1 Softball Championship made its way to a final outcome as the McCracken County Lady Mustangs won their third straight title 8-0 and the chance to defend last year’s state title. They will head to Owensboro next week ranked #1 with a record of 36-3 and play the winner of tonight’s Eastern-Male Region 7 Championship.
This was just the second time a Region 1 team has taken the Lady Mustangs the full seven innings, the first came just the night before in their 11-2 win over Carlisle County.
McCracken County wasted no time getting on base with Bailey Vick leading off with a triple but that’s as far as she would get with the Lady Marshals ending their at-bat on a nice double-play on Hannah Ridolfi’s pop up caught by third baseman Addie Young and tag on Vick back at 3rd by Payton Smothers.
The Lady Mustangs scored their first two runs in the 2nd inning on doubles by Kalli Harris and Lindsey Carroll and a single by Madeline Wooten.
Vick hit her second triple to lead off their 5-run 3rd inning as they proceeded to load the bases before Carroll hit one out on the first pitch for the grand slam, giving the Lady Mustangs a 7-0 lead.
The Lady Marshals buckled down defensively and did a good job quieting the Lady Mustangs bats with Miller robbing Ridolfi of a home run in the 4th with a SportsCenter Top 10 catch above the center field fence.
Miller led off the bottom of the 6th with the second hit against tournament MVP Audrey Dodd, but she would take care of the next three up to head into the final inning where McCracken County scored their final run of the game on a double by Harris.
“They’re a great team and we knew coming in we would have to play the perfect game”, Head Coach Trent Lovett said. Lovett said he is proud of his seniors saying, “their leadership is second to none.”
The Lady Marshals finish the 2016 season with a 27-12 record, the most wins since their 2007 season under Jennifer Burnham when they went 32-6.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | ||
| McCracken | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 11 | 1 | |
| Marshall | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
HITTING
Marshall: Miller 2/3
McCracken: Vick 2/4 (2-3B), Shoulders 2/4 (2B, RBI), Ridolfi 1/3, Harris 2/4 (2-2B, RBI), Humphrey 1/3, Carroll 1/3 (HR, 4 RBIs), Wooten 2/2 (3B, RBI)
PITCHING
Marshall: English 7.0 (11 hits, 8 runs)
McCracken: Dodd 7.0 (2 hits, 0 runs)
2016 All-Tournament Team
Shaelyn Tyler – Paducah Tilghman
Sarah Harpole – Hickman County
Rianah Fields – Ballard Memorial
Savannah Grogan – Murray
Aubree Jo Kemp – Graves County
Brittany Morris – Carlisle County
Gracie Lusk – Hickman County
Payton Smothers – Marshall County
Bailey Vick – McCracken County
Maddie Martin – Carlisle County
Briley English – Marshall County
Hannah Ridolfi – McCracken County
Abby Fiessinger – Marshall County
Tori Humphrey – McCracken County
Audrey Doss – MVP, McCracken County
