Big First Inning Propels Lady Elks to Win

Elkhart Defeats Teague, 5-1

By Will Johnson
Messenger Reporter

ELKHART – The Teague Lady Lions came to Elkhart on Friday hoping to catch the Lady Elks off guard following their 9-8 loss to the Frankston Maidens earlier in the week.

The Teague hopes were dashed early on, however, as Elkhart put up four in the first inning and only allowed one extra base hit while taking down the Lady Lions by a final score of 5-1.

Gracie Johnson was in the pitcher’s circle for Elkhart to start the game and retired the first two batters she faced on a grounder to third and a swinging strikeout.

Johnson ran into a bit of trouble following the K, however. She gave up a hit to Bekah Parks and then walked Bri’Anna Kyle to put a runner in scoring position. After three straight pitches to Mallorie Sims, Johnson was behind in the count, 3-0. She caught Sims looking at a pitch for a called strike, coaxed a foul ball from her to bring the count to 3-2 and then got her to pop-up for out number three.

When the Lady Elks came to bat in the bottom of the first, they connected for three straight doubles – off of Kyle – to jump ahead and never look back. Rylee Reeves led off the inning with a double and moved to third when Johnson hit a two-bagger.

Both Reeves and Johnson scampered home when Molly Ormand doubled to make the score 2-0. Allie Hays was up next and singled to break the double streak but moved Ormand to third.

After Macie Gonzales popped up for the first out of the inning, the Lady Elks were back at it as Ashlyn Mattern doubled to drive in Ormand and Hayes to make the score 4-0.

Following Mattern’s double, Kyle appeared to settle down as she was able to strikeout Makayla Walker and Arrana Gonzales to end the inning.

Both Johnson and Kyle worked a 1-2-3 inning in the second.

Johnson continued her stellar performance in the third as she retired the first two batters she faced before giving up a single to Carson Carroll, who was stranded at first when Parks flew out to left to end the inning.

The Lady Elks tacked on another run in the bottom of the third on a Gonzales double. Ormand led off the inning with a single and moved to second on Hayes’ second base rap of the game. Gonzales followed Hayes with a double to left which drove in Ormand and made the score 5-0.

Elkhart appeared ready to blow out Teague but a double play ended the Lady Elks’ threat as Mattern lined out to center and Gonzales was doubled up at second. After Walker drew a walk from Kyle, A. Gonzales struck out to end the inning.

That was all the scoring until the top of the seventh inning when Teague’s Kyle drove in Abril Arrezola from third. Unfortunately for the visiting Lady Lions, it was too little, too late as Johnson retired the next two batters she faced to end the inning and pick up the win for Elkhart.

Kyle was saddled with the loss after she pitched six innings. She gave up five runs on nine hits, struck out five and walked three.

Johnson was credited with the win after seven innings of work. She gave up one run on 10 hits, struck out four and walked three.

Will Johnson may be contacted via e-mail at [email protected].