JCHS clobbers Southside

This is a pattern the Patriots would love to see continue.

A night after the Jay County High School baseball team pounded Union City 18-1, the softball team clobbered visiting Muncie Southside by the same score. The Patriots also defeated the Olympic Athletic Conference rival Rebels 18-1 in their first meeting of the year on April 15.

Ten different players scored runs for JCHS (3-8) in the lop-sided, five-inning win.

"At this point in the season, we'll take any win we can get," said Patriot coach Doug Arbuckle, whose team has earned two of its three victories against Southside. "This is a real confidence booster. Everybody contributed to the team's success tonight."

Kendra Younger kick-started the Jay County offense and capped the scoring as she led the team by going 3-for-4 with three runs and three RBIs.

After a scoreless first inning, Younger opened the second with a single to right field to start a six-run frame. She added a single in the fourth, and in her second at-bat of the inning she blasted a three-run home run over the left-field fence to cap a 10-run effort.

"The last few games here she's really been patient at the plate ... not trying to do too much," said Arbuckle of the junior shortstop. "She's been hitting it well here lately."

Five consecutive Patriot batters reached base to open the second inning, with Watson following up Younger's hit with a single to left. Nikka Chaney and Rachelle Jackson each drew walks, and Taylor Steed was hit by a pitch.

Lexie Gierhart later added a two-run single to center, and Selena Mc-Kibben hit a two-run double to left-center as JCHS took a 6-0 lead.

Paige Alsip, courtesy-running for Watson, and Chaney both scored on a slap single to center field from Jackson in the third inning, and then Patriots took advantage of six walks in the fourth.

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Gierhart and Danielle Wellman had consecutive RBI doubles in the frame prior to Younger's three-run blast.

Gierhart finished 3-for-4 with four RBIs and two runs, and Chaney and Alsip each scored three times.

"Lexie, being a freshman, has really stepped right up there at the top of the order and hit well for us," said Arbuckle of Gierhart. "She's accepted that role."

After walking two of the first three batters she faced, Watson sat down six in a row. She gave up just two hits - both in the third inning - on the way to earning the victory.

Taylor Steed came up with the defensive play of the day, turning a Patriots' miscue into an out. Wellman's pick-off attempt during the fourth inning sailed over Chaney's head at first base, but Steed was there to back up the play. She fielded the ball and fired to Younger at second base in time to get Courtney McDonald, who was trying to advance on the error, for the second out of the inning.

Haylie Walden suffered the loss for Southside, giving up 11 runs - 10 earned - on nine hits and seven walks in three-plus innings.

In the first varsity game of her career for JCHS, Taylor Franklin had a walk, a run and an RBI.

Along with the three runs from Alsip, Ranae Ray came off the bench for a hit and a run. Whitni Somers walked and scored twice.

"It's always good when we can get all the girls in the game," said Arbuckle. "You never know what the situation might be where they'll have a chance to contribute. It's good to get them playing time."[[In-content Ad]]