Skid With Win Over Rebels
It has been a tough go for the Macomb High softball team.
The Bombers had dropped seven straight games and managed to score just one run in its 32 innings.
The MHS offense got untracked Wednesday afternoon at the Vermont Memorial BallPark as the Bombers scored the game’s final nine runs in recording a 14-4 Prairieland Conference win over host South Fulton.
MHS improved to 3-8 overall, 2-1 in Prairieland Conference play.
South Fulton dropped to 1-11 overall, 1-2 in league play. “We’ve been pushing for a lot of games,” said MHS coach Madelyn Belville. “Finally, we were able to put it together and get a win. It’s exciting.”
Both teams scored twice in the opening inning before MHS scored three runs in the top of the third. The Rebels answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning to trail 5-4.
But Macomb added to its lead in the top of the fourth, scoring four runs.
Brookly Lyles reached on an error and scored when Lauren Schmalshof tripled to right. Kinley Sloan followed with a single to center that scored Schmalshof upping the Bomber lead to 7-4.
Peyton Corbin came up with a two-out, two-run single to cap the rally.
Macomb put the game out of reach in the top of the seventh, scoring five times.
A double and two walks loaded the bases before Sloan was hit by a pitch, forcing home a run. Lilyan Schmalshof then delivered a bases-clearing double that scored three runs.
Schmalshof moved to third on a fly ball to right before scoring on a passed ball.
“We’ve struggled to get that momentum at the beginning of games,” said Belville. “They did that (this game). So I knew that it was going to be better outcome than what it’s been whether we won or lost.”
The Bombers finished with 10 hits and four errors, while South Fulton had three hits and three errors.
Lilyan Schmalshof had three hits, knocking in six runs while also scoring twice. Older sister Lauren Schmalshof also had three hits and scored four runs.
Corbin knocked in three runs, while Sloan added two runs batted in for MHS. Reagan Knowles and Lyles each scored twice.
In the circle, Josie Elbe, in her first week of play since suffering a knee injury during basketball season, pitched three innings.
She allowed four runs, none earned, on two hits. Elbe struck out three, walked two and hit a batter.
Sloan picked up the victory, pitching the final four innings. She allowed just one hit and one walk, striking out nine.
Madalyn Carlock had two hits and Preslea Parker scored twice for South Fulton.
Lainey Malott pitched four innings for South Fulton, allowing nine runs, four earned, on eight hits. She struck out seven, walked four and hit two batters.
Choe Sutton pitched three innings, allowing five runs, four earned, on two hits. She struck out one, walked three and hit three batters.
On Monday, the Bombers hosted Barry Western, dropping a 13-0 decision in five innings to the visiting Wildcats.
Western (7-6) scored seven runs in the second inning, before tacking on a single run in the third.
The Wildcats added three runs in the fourth and two in the fifth, finishing the contest with 11 hits.
MHS was held hitless and committed six errors that led to nine unearned runs.
Elbe made her season debut in the circle for MHS, allowing eight runs, none earned, on five hits in three innings. She struck out four and walked three.
Sloan pitched one inning, allowing three earned runs on three hits. She struck out one and walked one.
Autumn Starbuck pitched one inning, allowing two runs, one earned, on three hits. She struck out two and walked one.
Western’s Loryn White struck out 12 in five innings. She walked one and hit three batters.
Briley Westfall doubled twice, knocking in four runs and scoring twice.
Brynlee McQuay and Allison Woods had two hits each and scored twice, while Reese Bushmeyer and Sophie Rennecker also had two hits each and scored a run.
Rennecker, Bushmeyer and McQuay and Ava Fesler had one run batted in apiece.
On Tuesday, the Bombers headed to Abingdon for a non-conference contest against Abingdon-Avon.
A five-run third inning by the hosts helped them defeat MHS 8-1, improving to 3-7 on the season.
While Macomb suffered its seventh straight loss, it snapped its scoreless streak at 29.2 innings by scoring in the top of the fifth.
Lyllie Pilger reached on a pop fly single to second before moving to second when Knowles walked.
Lyles hit into a fielder’s choice with Pilger advancing to third. She scored on an error by A-Town leftfielder Ava Patch.
The Tornadoes grabbed the lead in the third as it used four hits, a walk, a wild pitch and an error in scoring five runs.
A-Town added two runs in the fifth and one in the sixth.
The Tornadoes out-hit the Bombers 10-5 with Macomb also committing five errors that led to three unearned runs. A-Town committed two errors.
Starbuck had two hits, while Pilger and Lyles added one hit each.
In the circle, Elbe pitched 2.1 innings, allowing five runs, four earned, on six hits. She struck out three and walked one.
Sloan pitched 3.2 innings, allowing three runs, two earned, on four hits. She struck out two and walked four.
Myli Webber had two hits with two runs scored and two batted in for A-Town. Kallie Nelson had two hits, including a double, with two runs scored.
Abby Kemp had two hits with one run scored and one batted in, while Avery Stegall doubled and scored a run.
Lillie Stephens pitched 4.1 innings, allowing one unearned run on three hits. She struck out six and walked four.
Alisha Snyder pitched the final 2.2 innings, allowing one hit and one walk, striking out five.
The Bombers were scheduled to host West Hancock (8-6) on Thursday before playing at Galesburg (3-15) on Friday.
“I hope (the win over South Fulton) gives us that little push of momentum that we needed,” said Belville.
Photos by Andrea Ratermann
