Homers bury Jay County

Through the first two-and-a-half weeks of the season, the Patriots were in every game they played. Their four losses had come by a total of just five runs.
Thursday was a different story.
The Norwell Knights hit a pair of first-inning home runs and cruised to a 12-0 victory over host Jay County.
Norwell set the tone quickly after Kendall Beckstein led off the game with a single to left field. Jorey Wall smashed a two-run home run, and Alissa Hanni followed with a solo shot to give the Knights (7-2) a 3-0 lead before JCHS was able to record an out.
“That’s a very good ball team,” said Jay County coach Doug Arbuckle, whose team slipped to 5-5. “They came out and hit the ball well. That put us in a hole and got us on our heels a little bit. It just kind of overwhelmed us and then it snowballed. We just totally lost our composure tonight.”
Patriot starter Rachelle Jackson escaped the first inning without further damage, but Norwell added three runs in the second thanks in part to doubles from Wall and Hanni. It then scored three unearned runs in the third thanks to three JCHS errors.
The visitors pushed across two runs in the fourth inning and one in the fifth for the final margin.
Wall finished 3-for-4 with the home run, two doubles, four RBIs and four runs to power Norwell. Beckstein had two hits and three runs, and No. 9 hitter Morgan Chilton had two infield singles, two stolen bases and two runs.
“I don’t know if it’s a boost for us as much as it’s demoralizing to the other team,” said Norwell coach Scott Hanni of the homers. “Both those girls (Wall and Hanni), that was each of their third home run on the season. They can both hit the ball. Jorey Wall, she hit two home runs in the first game against South Adams last Saturday. They’ve got some pop in their bats. It’s exciting.”
Jay County never got its bats going, finishing with just two hits in the defeat.
Rachelle Jackson had a single in the first inning, and Abbey Vance added a single in the third. Vance was retired on a double play as Hanni faced the minimum over the final four innings and retired 13 of the last 14 batters she faced.
“Before tonight we had seven girls hitting over .300, but it sure didn’t show tonight,” said Arbuckle, whose team struck out six times. “We’ve got to get back to work and get things corrected and get back in that groove … and just get that confidence back again.”
Jackson took the loss for the Patriots, giving up nine runs — six earned — on nine hits in three innings. She struck out one and did not walk a batter.
Nikka Chaney allowed three runs — two earned on three hits and a walk in two innings of relief.
Jackson made the defensive play of the game for the Patriots, tracking down a grounder up the middle from her position at second base and stepping on the bag to force out Maddy Stinger for the first out of the fourth inning.
“That was a great play,” said Arbuckle. “She got a good jump on the ball, caught the ball on the run and stepped on the bag.”
Jay County has dropped three games in a row this week after winning five of its first seven.
Its previous losses had come by scores of 11-10 to Delta, 6-5 to Huntington North in eight innings, 12-11 to Bluffton in eight innings and 3-1 to Daleville.
“We jumped out and were 5-2 and things were rolling along smooth,” Arbuckle said. “That game up at Bluffton (Monday) where we had that lead … and then they came back and got us in extra innings, I think has got us down a little bit here.  We’re in a little slump.
“But they’ll bounce back. I have all the faith in the world in them. … We’ll get it turned around.”

Junior varsity
An 11-run second inning powered the Patriots to a 15-1 victory over Norwell.
Courtney Finnerty notched two hits, two RBIs and two runs, and Randi Auker had a single, two runs and two RBIs. Mikayla Gross finished 2-for-3 with three runs.
Finnerty also picked up the win, limiting the Knights to one run on three hits while striking out four batters.


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