Lady Tigers run-rule Blanchester for first win of the season

The McClain Lady Tigers varsity softball team and first-year head coach Molly Stegbauer notched their first win of the season Thursday night, 14-4 over Blanchester on Daryle Unger Field.

McClain combined some solid defense (no errors) and a lot of timely hitting to erase an early 1-0 deficit and win by the mercy rule in just five innings of play.

“This feels good, and it was really fun to watch tonight because our girls brought their A-game,” McClain head coach Molly Stegbauer said. “We also had zero errors for the game, and that was impressive and makes all the difference in the world.

“Everyone brought their bats, and it seemed like everybody was hitting the ball and really hitting it well.”

Blanchester got a long home run in the top of the first inning and grabbed the early 1-0 lead. But the Lady Tigers quickly answered in the bottom half of the opening inning when Lindsey Hutchinson led off with a double and scored two outs later on an RBI single by Leah Lovett.

Kenzie Wise drove in Lovett with McClain’s second run on a double, making the score 2-1 Lady Tigers.

Neither team was able to score in the second inning, but the Lady ’Cats re-captured the lead in the top of the third inning, scoring three runs on five hits and went back ahead 4-2.

McClain brought out their hitting shoes in the bottom of the third and broke the game wide open, scoring eight runs on seven hits while batting around their lineup, sending 12 batters to the plate.

Hutchinson got things started again by drawing a one-out walk, and after a bloop single by Brie Cummings, the Lady Tigers were in business with runners at second and third after moving up a base on a wild pitch. Olivia Stegbauer then drove in both runners with a solid single, and the game was tied 4-4.

McClain’s batters continued to erupt with Lovett singling and Wise driving in two runs with her second double of the game, and the Lady Tigers had their first lead of the game, 6-4. McClain added four more runs on three more hits for a 10-4 advantage.

After Gracie Bowers sat down the side in the top of the fourth, the Lady Tigers’ bats went back to work again in the bottom of the inning. Stegbauer led off with a single and scored on an RBI double off the bat of Lovett. Lovett came around to score on a single by Bowers, and it was 12-4 Lady Tigers.

It looked like Blanchester had something going in the top of the fifth when they loaded the bases with just one out, but Bowers buckled down and left the bases loaded with no runs scoring.

McClain closed out the scoring and ended the game in their half of the fifth inning, scoring the two runs needed to end the ballgame and sending them to that first victory of the new season.

“Our defense was really solid today, and I need to give a shoutout to everyone on this team because they all did their part, and that’s what we’re trying to get our girls to buy into,” Stegbauer said.

Bowers was superb on the mound, picking up the win and going the distance, surrendering just the four runs on 12 hits and giving up no walks for the game.

“Gracie (Bowers) pitched very well for us tonight,” Stegbauer said. “She works really hard and is an extraordinary leader on this team that everyone looks up to. I’m really proud of the effort she put in to this game. Also, I thought Kenzie Wise at shortstop and Leah Lovett at first base made some phenomenal plays, too.

“We know we need to be aggressive on the bases, and our girls need to be smart and make good decisions on their own and not always rely on the coaches. But, overall, just a great first win of the season.”

Batting leaders in the game for McClain: Hutchison 2-for-2, double, 2 walks, 3 runs; Cummins 2-for-3, 2 RBIs, run; Stegbauer 2-for-3, 3 RBIs, 2 runs; Lovett 3-for-3, double, 3 RBIs, 2 runs; Wise 2-for-2, 2 doubles, 3 RBIs, 2 runs; Bowers 2-for-3, RBI and run.

The Lady Tigers (1-3) open up Frontier Athletic Conference play Monday, April 1sat home vs. Washington, then travel to Zane Trace on Thursday, April 4, before coming home Friday, April 5 to host Eastern Brown.

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