Lady Hawks fall under .500 after Centerville set

BY PCC STAFF

CENTERVILLE - The Central Lee softball team is under .500 for the first time this year after losing a 5-4 , 6-1 doubleheader to Centerville on Monday.

A two-out single in the fourth inning turned out to be the difference in game 1.

Alyssa McElvain led off the inning with grounder into left. Lady Hawks hurler Sophie Turner got the next two Big Reds to fly out. But a Kiera Klum single and walk to Breckyn Carney loaded the bases.

Elizabeth Zintz then singled a 1-2 pitch into left field scoring two for a 4-3 lead, which would hold out through the game for Centerville.

The Lady Hawks jumped out to quick 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first when Eschman led off with a double off McElvain. Central Lee would play a little small ball and move Eschman over with a sacrifice bunt sending Eschman to third. Daly Brisby would strike out for the second out.

Shanna Buford would then work a walk to put runners at the corners. Macy Watkins would drive in both runners with a single to right field. She would advance to second on a throw home trying to get Buford. Megan Hopp would then hit a liner back up the middle off McElvain in the circle to score Watkins. Turner would then single to right, but Hopp would get gunned down trying to get all the way to third on the play to end the inning.

Turner would give up on hit in the first two innings, holding Centerville scoreless. But in the third the Reds' Claire Mathews would drill a two-run homer off Turner's 1-1 offering over the left field fence to make it 3-2 Central Lee after three.

The Hawks would go 1-2-3 in the top of the fourth before Centerville took the lead in the fourth, and both pitchers would hold things in check the rest of the way.

Central Lee would get a single from Buford in the top of the sixth but that's all the offense they would get the rest of the way.

In the second game, Hopp and Mathews had battled to a 2-0 Centerville lead after four innings.

Taylor Shinn had an RBI single to center for the Red to score a run with one out in the first inning, before Hopp settled in to get a strike out and ground out to end the inning,

Centerville scored again in the third when Shinn smacked an RBI double on a fly ball to left for a 2-0 lead. Hopp would get the next two out to retire the side.

Neither team would score in the fourth, despite each stranding a runner. Central Lee would score it's run in the top of the fifth when Benner flied to center deep enough to allow Hopp to tag and score after she singled, moved to second on a passed ball and over to third on sacrifice bunt by Sophie Woodley.

That's all the scoring the Hawks would get as Centerville posted four in the bottom half of the sixth.

McElvain doubled and Teaghan Maxwell singled moving McElvain to third. Maxwell would go to second on the throw trying to get McElvain. McElvain would score on a Sarah Lewis single to make it 3-1. Then an error would allow Maxwell to come in. Another RBI single and a sacrifice fly to left would plate two more for a 6-1 lead that would hold up for Centerville.

In the 7th, the Lady Hawks made some noise when Buford singled to lead off the inning. Buford would get called out stealing second and Watkins would line out for the second out, but Hopp and Woodley would hit back-to-back singles to load the bases. Benner would then pop out to short to end the game.

Central Lee falls to 5-6 overall (3-2 in the conference) and travels to Bloomfield Thursday for a double header starting at 5:30 p.m.

HITING: Game 1 - Arrowood 0-3, Eschman 1-3, 1 2B, 1 run; Morrison 0-3, Watkins 1-3, 2RBI, 1 run; Hopp 1-3, 1RBI; Brisby 0-3; Buford 1-2, 1 run; Benner 0-3; Turner 1-3. Game 2 - Arrowood 1-3; Woodley 1-3; Eschman 0-2; Morrison 0-1, Watkins 0-3, Hopp 3-3, 1 run; Simmons 0-2, Brisby 0-3, Buford 1-3, Benner 0-3, 1 RBI. PITCHING - Game 1 - Turner 6 IP, 4 runs - 4 earned, 7 hits, 4Ks 1BB. Game 2 - Hopp 6 IP, 6 runs - 6 earned, 11 hits, 4Ks, 1BB.