Pontiac needs extra frame to dispatch Central Catholic

BLOOMINGTON — Missed opportunities early nearly cost Pontiac in its Illini Prairie Conference softball matchup with host Central Catholic on Monday. Fortunately for the Indians, the duo of Maddie Gourley and Elena Krause sparked an eighth-inning rally that lifted the Tribe to a 4-2 victory at McGraw Park.

The win moves Pontiac to 8-1 in league play and 16-9 overall.

Gourley and Krause got the Indians on the board in the top of the first inning. Gourley led off the contest with a triple and scored when Krause followed with a two-bagger.

But then miscues hindered the Tribe. Krause was called out at third before Makayla Metz delivered a two-base hit. India Mattingly then reached on an infield single but Metz was thrown out trying to score on the play to end the inning.

Olivia Lindsay ripped a double with two outs in the second inning to start another little rally. Trinity Miller was the courtesy runner for the PTHS catcher and was still on second after Tessa Collins drew a free pass.

Gourley collected a double that plated Miller for a 2-0 Pontiac advantage, but the Tribe left two runners in scoring position when the inning ended.

The two-run lead looked to be in good hands with Krause peppering the strike zone from the circle. Krause struck out the side in the first inning and fanned three in the second despite sandwiching walks in between the punch outs.

One walk came back to burn Krause. This came with two outs in the third when Aubrey Campbell drew the free pass. She scored when Emily York followed with the first hit of the game for the Saints.

Campbell led off the BCC sixth with a base hit and scored with two outs on a wild pitch, tying the game at 2-2.

Pontiac had gotten into a funk at the plate by the time the Saints pulled even. After the third inning, when PTHS left a runner on in scoring position, the Indians managed just one runner through the end of the regulation seven innings. Krause singled in the top of the fifth inning but was thrown out trying to steal.

The Saints looked to pull off the upset in the last of the seventh after Krause walked Ellie Stoffa to lead off the frame. A pitching change brought in Metz, who got a groundout and an out on a fielder's choice. An error kept the inning alive for BCC but a grounder to third baseman Bailey Masching ended the inning with a force out.

York had been cruising as the game went to the eighth frame. She had set down the last six Indians she faced on strikes, but now she was facing the top of the order, which meant another dose of Gourley to lead things off.

Gourley obliged the Pontiac cause by stroking a base hit on the first pitch. She scored when Krause tripled, giving the Tribe a 3-2 edge. Krause scored one out later when Metz got the squeeze bunt down to put PTHS up 4-2.

Metz finished off the Saints in the seventh by retiring the side in order.

Gourley and Krause each collected a triple, double and single. Krause drove in two runs and Gourley had one run batted in in pacing the Pontiac offense. Metz had two hits, including a double, an drove in a run while Lindsay also doubled. Mattingly contributed a single.

Metz got the win in relief, allowing nothing and registering one strikeout in two innings in the circle. Krause gave up two runs (one earned), two hits and five walks while striking out 14 in six-plus frames.

York took the loss for the Saints. She struck out 13 and walked one while giving up 10 hits. Campbell and York had the two BCC safeties.

IVC 10, Prairie Central 5

CHILLICOTHE — Illinois Valley Central got off to a fast start and was able to withstand a big inning from Prairie Central to send the Hawks home on the short end of a 10-5 decision in Illini Prairie Conference softball Monday on the Grey Ghosts' home field.

IVC tagged Prairie Central starter Dixie Hogan for six runs in the bottom of the first for a six-run advantage. It stayed that way unto the Hawks batted in the fourth.

Rylee Galloway opened things up for PC with a base hit and Lauren Hoselton stroked a double to plate Galloway with the first Hawks run. Jules Woodrey followed with a home run to make it a 6-3 game.

Kyah Creek and Hogan each singled and Creek scored when Lillie Hogan reached on an error. A Kyrsten sacrifice put two runners in scoring position and Lucy Whitfill, the courtesy runner for Dixie Hogan, scored when Alexandria Hari grounded out.

The Ghosts chased Dixie Hogan from the circle with one out in the fifth inning. Hogan gave up a homer to the last batter she faced and Whitfill came on in relief.

The Hawks threatened in the sixth inning as Creek walked and Whitfill doubled, putting runners on second and third. But three straight strikeouts ended the inning.

Hogan took the loss in the circle, yielding nine runs (five earned), eight hits and four walks to go with four strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings. Whitfill gave up an unearned run and a walk in 1 2/3 innings.

Woodrey had a homer, single and two RBIs to lead the PC (7-13, 1-7) offense. Hoselton had a double and run batted in while Whitfill doubled and Hari had a single and RBI. Galloway and Creek also doubled and Lillie Hogan drove in a run.

Lexington-Ridgeview 18, Eureka 3

EUREKA — Lexington-Ridgeview scored in ech inning it batted in producing an 18-3 triumph against host Eureka in a Heat of Illinois Conference softball game Monday.

Belle Payne was the recipient of such support as the Lexington-Ridgeview hurler picked up the win in the circle. Payne gave up three runs, seven hits and a walk in five innings.

Payne had the lead before she threw her first pitch as the Minutemen scored two runs in the top of the first inning. Grace Grimsley doubled with two outs to drive in Ella Sunday and Eleana Atkins.

A five-run second inning pushed the L-R lead to 7-0. With the bases loaded and one out, Atkins reached on an error that plated two runs. Mackenzie Wesson drove in two more with a two-out single. She scored when Grimsley followed with her second two-bagger of the game.

Lexington-Ridgeview scored six times in third inning to give Payne a comfortable 13-run advantage. Like the inning before, Atkins reached on an error with the bases loaded that allowed two runs to score. Makayla Ziegler then singled to drive in another marker and Wesson followed with a three-run homer.

A run for the Minutemen in the fourth pushed the lead to 14-0. The sizable advantage provided the insurance needed for Payne in her one bad inning in the circle. Eureka scored three runs in the last of the fourth to avoid the shutout.

Lexington-Ridgeview responded in the fifth with four runs for the final difference. Allison Epley slapped a run-scoring double with Josie Thomas following suit with a two-run two-bagger. Eva McCue ended the scoring when she followed with a triple that drove in Thomas for the 15-run margin.

Half of the Lexington-Ridgeview (11-11) base hits went for extra bases. Wesson led the attack with a home run, single and five runs batted in. Thomas had a double, two singles and two RBIs and Grimsley had a pair of two-baggers and three RBIs. Atkins had a hit and drove in two runs and Epley had a double and RBI. Ziegler, McCue and Ellie Doll each had a hit and RBI.

This article originally appeared on Pontiac Daily Leader: Pontiac Indians need extra frame to dispatch Central Catholic