GC Softball: Blooming Grove keeps rolling
Apr. 5—BLOOMING GROVE — The train just keeps on rolling at Blooming Grove, where the Lady Lions beat Eustace 12-2 earlier this week as they head into the stretch run of what has been a sensational season so far.
After beating Eustace this week, the Grove girls were 6-0 in the District 18-3A race with four district games left with huge games against Mildred and Malakoff on the schedule next week.
No one is looking ahead. Coach Johnna Smith won't let her kids do that. She gets up every day and when friends say "good morning" Smith answers with "One game at a time."
Smith's Lady Lions defeated Eustace one game at a time this week and are now 17-5 for the season. They won with brilliant pitching and an all-out assault at the plate, scoring a dozen runs on 11 hits, including five extra-base knocks in just four at-bats.
Seven Lions scored and seven drove in runs with a lineup that has been missing two of its best players most of the season — Janey McGraw and Lauren Wilcoxen have been out with season-ending injuries, but the train just keeps rolling.
Ava Eldridge had another brilliant game on the mound, where she allowed two hits and no earned runs while striking out 10 of the 15 outs she needed without allowing a walk, and at the plate, where she belted a double, scored and drove in a run.
McKenna Davis led the hit parade, going 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles, scoring twice and driving in two runs and Brooke McGraw ripped a bases-loaded triple to bring in three runs.
Laci Johnson went 2-for-3, scored twice and drove in a run, Sarah Leverette went 2-for-3, scored and drove in a run, Riley Richards went 2-for-3, scored three runs and had an RBI, and Madeline Brown doubled (BG had four doubles and a triple), scored and drove in a run.
