Demons take Hounds 12 innings in Thursday sweep

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BY ETHAN LILLARD
PCC SPORTS

FORT MADISON- For those that aren't aware, high school baseball and softball games are always scheduled for seven innings. After game one of a doubleheader Thursday night at Fort Madison High School, Washington and the Bloodhounds had 12 innings under their belt and still had an entire second game to play.

The second game was played and actually went under seven innings, as Washington went on to sweep the double header against Fort Madison Thursday night, 8-5, 12-2.

“I was happy that we came back twice in that same game,” Fort Madison softball Head Coach Jared Rehm said. “We were down twice and came back twice to tie it back up. That was good, that was a positive note.”

GAME ONE

Fort Madison led for a majority of the first contest with starting pitcher Cassie Powers dealing from the circle to begin the game.

Powers held Washington to just one hit through the first two innings, allowing her team to take the lead in the home-half of the second. The bottom of the order delivered for the Hounds, as the seven through nine batters each reached base safely in Kylee Cashman, Jasmine Bass and Vanessa Golowach. 

Logan Johnson came back to the plate with the top of the order and the bases loaded with one out. Johnson hit a pop fly and reached base safely on a Washington fielding error, as Cashman came in to score and give the Hounds the 1-0 lead.

The one run was just enough to keep Fort Madison ahead as Powers held the Demons to four hits until the top of the seventh inning.

Powers started off the top of the seventh with a strikeout before a single and a walk led to another single that plated Washington's first run of the game. With a runner at third, a groundout the following at bat gave the Demons the 2-1 lead, before another run came around to score on a wild pitch to give Washington a 3-1 lead heading into the final half inning of the game.

Again, it was the bottom of the lineup coming up clutch for Fort Madison. Golowach singled, Johnson doubled and Ivy Geerdes hit a sacrifice groundout to plate Golowach and cut the lead to one run.

Olivia Williams followed with a hard hit ball to second and reached on an error, as Johnson came in to score and tie the game at three, forcing extra innings after Washington got out of the jam in the bottom of the seventh.

Again the Hounds started the top of the inning with an out, but back-to-back singles from Washington in the top of the eighth led to a bases clearing double that gave Washington the 5-3 lead. Powers would retire the side and the Hounds were on the hook for runs again.

Cashman walked in the bottom of the eighth, before Bass singled and moved Cashman to third. Golowach then hit a sacrifice groundout to trim the deficit to 5-4. Geerdes again came through with two outs, hitting a single to score Bass and extend the game to the ninth inning.

Both teams went scoreless for three-straight innings, before Washington plated three runs in the top of the 12th inning, putting the pressure on Fort Madison.

Geerdes hit a one out single and Olivia Williams walked, bringing the tying run to the plate for Fort Madison with one out. Unfortunately for the Bloodhounds, Washington shut the door on the comeback, going on to win by the final of 8-5.

“(Powers) did good,” Rehm said. “After awhile she had 11 hits so I figured she was getting timed up so I put Katie (Dennis) in to try to close it out.”

Geerdes led the way for the Hounds with two RBIs on a 3-for-6 day at the plate. Cashman scored two runs and was 1 for 4 with two walks. Dennis was hit with the loss in her three innings of relief, allowing four hits and two earned runs. Powers tossed 146 pitches over her nine innings, giving up 11 hits and five earned runs. Powers struck out 12 batters and walked just three.

GAME TWO

The Hounds again drew first blood in game No. 2. Dayln Wondra plated the first run of the game for Fort Madison in the bottom of the first on a single for the 1-0 lead. That would be the extent of the momentum in game two for Fort Madison.

Washington responded with back-to-back singles before a a wild pitch and an error helped the Demons take a 2-1 lead. A double followed by a walk put Washington in front 3-1, before a sacrifice groundout and a single bumped the lead to 5-1.

Dennis was hit by a pitch in the bottom of the second and Golowach reached base safely on an error to put runners on the corners for Fort Madison with one out. Williams hit a sacrifice groundout the next at bat for the Hounds' second run of the game, but it would prove to be the final run in game two for Fort Madison.

Washington followed its five-run inning with a six-run inning in the top of the third, gaining an 11-2 lead and crushing any hopes of the Bloodhounds splitting the double header.

It was evident that after playing a game and a half to get through the first contest that the Bloodhounds were a little worn out for game two.

“I think so because errors poked their head right away in the second game,” Rehm said about thinking game one took something out of his team for game two.

Williams and Wondra each picked up RBIs in game two. Rehm was saddled with the loss, allowing ten hits over two innings for six earned runs. Powers tossed 57 pitches over three innings of work, allowing four hits and two earned runs. Powers collected four more strikeouts in game two for a 16 K two-game total.

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