PENDLETON — Mt. Vernon wasted no time getting ahead in their sectional opener Monday. Coming off a Saturday tournament in which they scored 40 runs in two games, the Marauders had a lot of offensive momentum.
Three batters into their sectional game against Richmond, the Marauders led 2-0 and had no outs.
They would double that lead before the first inning ended. Mt. Vernon would roll from there, cruising into the semifinals with a 13-0 win in Pendleton.
“At the plate we are definitely confident,” Mt. Vernon coach Veronica Kirby said. “We did a god job seeing the strike zone and just owning the zone.”
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Click here to purchase photos from this galleryMt. Vernon amassed 13 hits in the game and allowed just one to the Spiders.
A leadoff walk, a single smacked off the pitcher’s glove, and two stolen bases put runners on second and third in the first inning for Mt. Vernon’s Sydnee Perry. A double to left-center scored both runs, putting the Marauders ahead quick, and Kaitlyn Nugent’s grounder to the pitcher scored another run after another stolen base.
After an error and a groundout, a wild pitch to Anelise Worden scored another run, giving the Marauders an early 4-0 lead.
Three straight hits in the third inning — a single by Jadan Fithian and doubles by Worden and Samantha Bennett — pushed another two runs across. An error, another double, a walk and a pair of singles pushed the lead to 11-0.
Mt. Vernon added two more in the fifth inning. A leadoff single and two-run homer by Nugent pushed the lead to 13. A quick bottom of the frame gave the Marauders the five-inning win.
“It was a solid game,” Kirby said. “We came with our bats, our defense and our pitching.”
On the mound, Mt. Vernon starter Karlee Franklin pitched three innings, striking out three and allowing one hit. Nugent came on in relief and shut the door, holding the Spiders off the scoreboard.
“Between both our pitchers we gave up one hit and no walks,” Kirby said. “Both pitched phenomenally. I trust both of them. Both bring something different.”
The Marauders were led on offense by Nugent, whose single and homer drove in five runs for Mt. Vernon. Perry had two singles and a double, driving in three runs herself.
Riley Hasseld and Worden each added a pair of hits.
“Even our outs were hard outs,” Kirby said. “We executed well with our at-bats. We didn’t swing at bad pitches.”
The Marauders will play Pendleton Heights tonight at 5:30 p.m.