Spring sports kicked off this week at Marshall County High School and the Lady Marshals softball team opened up their season on Monday at Paducah Tilghman. Last season the young squad finished with a record of 18-15, winning the Fourth District title in 11 innings 7-4 over Calloway County. Their season ended in the opening round of the First Region tournament with a 9-6 loss to Carlisle County.
Shane Darnall begins his second year as head coach of the Lady Marshals. Addie Young returns as assistant coach, Griffen Ives is the freshman coach and Griffin Darnall joins the staff as pitching coach.
They dropped their season opener 5-3 at Paducah Tilghman but rebounded nicely on Tuesday with a 4-3 win over Graves County in Mayfield.
Monday at Brooks Stadium against Paducah Tilghman, the Lady Marshals trailed 2-0 but gained the lead on a 3-run top of the third inning. They loaded the bases on singles by Macy McLeod, Madyson Morton and Marin Oakley. Chloe Coursey hit a no out single to drive in the first two runs and the third scored on a ground out by Gracelyn Darnall.
Paducah Tilghman tied the game in the bottom of the fourth on a single by Adrienne Romaine and regained the lead in the bottom of the fifth on a sacrifice bunt by Mia Bobbitt. They added one more for the 5-3 win in the bottom of the sixth on an error.
Junior Allicen Harris pitched all six innings for the Lady Marshals, allowing five runs, three earned on nine hits, striking out eight and walking three in the loss. Bobbitt picked up the win for Paducah Tilghman over seven innings, allowing six hits, three runs and pitching four strike outs.
Marshall 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 | 3 6 1
Paducah 1 1 0 1 1 1 x | 5 9 0
Marshall: Morton 1/3, Oakley 2/4, Coursey 1/4 (2 RBI), Darnall (RBI), Henson 1/2, McLeod 1/3
Paducah: White 3/4 (2B, RBI), Romaine 1/1 (RBI), Mooney 2/3, Bobbitt 1/2 (RBI), Thomas 2/3
Marshall: Harris 6.0 (9 hits, 5 runs)
Paducah: Bobbitt 7.0 (6 hits, 3 runs)
Tuesday at Graves County, the game was tied 1-1 through five innings before three runs over the next two innings sealed the 4-3 win for the Lady Marshals on seven hits.
A double off the bat of Allicen Harris brought the first run across the plate in the top of the first inning. The Lady Eagles tied it up in the bottom of the fourth on a triple hit by Brooklyn Cole.
Harris earned her second RBI of the game when she drove in Marin Oakley on a single in the top of the sixth to give the Lady Marshals a 2-1 lead. Two more runs in the top of the seventh came across on a double by Merriel Jackson and a wild pitch that brought in courtesy runner Emma Reynolds.
The Lady Eagles threatened the Lady Marshals lead in their final at bat, scoring on two bases loaded ground outs.
Senior Gracelyn Darnall picked up the win, giving up five hits, one earned of three runs over six innings and striking out two. Harris earned the save. Anna Rogers took the loss for Graves County, giving up four runs on seven hits while striking out eight.
Marshall 1 0 0 0 0 1 2 | 4 7 2
Graves 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 | 3 5 0
Marshall (1-1): Oakley 1/3 (2B), Coursey 1/3, Harris 2/3 (2B, RBI), Henson 1/3, Jackson 2/3 (2B, RBI)
Graves (1-1): Martin 1/3, Cole 1/3, Fisher 2/3, H. Hayden (RBI), P. Hayden 1/3 (RBI)
Marshall: Darnall 6.0 (5 hits, 3 runs), Harris 1.0 (0 hits, 0 runs)
Graves: Rogers 6.0 (7 hits, 4 runs), Cole 1.0 (0 hits, 0 runs)