Softball comes back to beat Rouse

Softball wins second game of preseason

Senior+Gabby+Walton+hitting+the+ball+against+Rouse.+Waltons+bunt%2C+and+senior+Hailey+MacKays+hit+helped+start+a+comeback+in+the+seventh+inning+that+led+to+the+Lady+Lions+win.

Jack Densmore

Senior Gabby Walton hitting the ball against Rouse. Walton’s bunt, and senior Hailey MacKay’s hit helped start a comeback in the seventh inning that led to the Lady Lions win.

The Lady Lions pulled a comeback last night against the Lady Raiders, winning the game 5-4. The game featured high winds, and a freezing cold night.

“While the weather was miserable, we know that both teams were under the same conditions so we couldn’t make that an excuse,” senior Hailey MacKay said. “It was definitely a factor when it came to fly balls for both teams though because we didn’t know where anything that was hit in the air was going to land.”

It wasn’t until the fourth inning that any of the teams scored. The Lady Lions scored their first run in the top of the fourth off of a Rouse error, which pulled their lead to 1-0. Then, in the bottom of the fourth, Rouse scored two runs to pull ahead 1-2. Then, they scored another two runs to widen the gap 1-4, with Rouse in the lead. 

I think coming back in the seventh shows that we’re a team that knows how to fight and compete and we know that it’s never over until the last out is made.

— Hailey MacKay

“We knew that we were capable of [coming back], because we have come back from behind to win before,” senior Gabby Walton said. “Also, Rouse is one of our biggest competitors and we hate losing to them. So, we put the weather conditions behind us and strung some hits together, and really rallied in the dugout.”

In the top of the fifth, the Lady Lions scored a run to close the gap to 2-4. At the top of the seventh inning, a bunt from senior Gabby Walton that pushed a runner up a base, and a hit by MacKay ignited the comeback that would lead to two runs tying the game 4-4. Then, the Lady Lions scored another run putting the pressure on Rouse. After a forcing a Rouse strikeout, the Lady Lions won the game 5-4.

“I think coming back in the seventh shows that we’re a team that knows how to fight and compete and we know that it’s never over until the last out is made,” MacKay said. “I also think last night was big for our confidence because it showed us that we can come back last minute.”

Next, the Lady Lions travel to Elgin on March 1.

 

The JV Softball team played Austin Bowie and lost 9-5 on Tuesday. They pulled through when they played Rouse and won 8-7.

“The girls fought hard and came back from a 9-0 deficit”, Coach Driver said about the Austin Bowie game. “Unfortunately, they ran out of time.”