Mackenzie Hampton
With Mt. Vernon’s softball field too wet to play on, the Marauders and Columbus East moved their doubleheader about an hour south to the Olympians’ new all-turf field on Saturday.
East pulled out a dramatic come-from-behind 7-6 win in eight innings in the opener before Mt. Vernon posted a 10-1 victory in the second game.
The Olympians got home runs from Savanna Sullivan and pitcher Hermione Robinson in the opener. Tied 4-4 after seven innings, the Marauders scored twice in the top of the eighth to take a 6-4 lead.
East then plated a run in the bottom of the eighth and had the bases loaded with one out when sophomore Mackenzie Hampton lined a double just inside the third base bag, scoring courtesy runner Ariel Darnell with the tying run and Robinson with the winning run.
“I was looking for a pitch to drive either side,” Hampton said. “I would have preferred the right side, but it ended up working well. It got through, and we ended up winning. It was a really exciting win. They’re a good hitting team, but our bats pulled through, so I was very happy.”
Mt. Vernon outhit the Olympians 14-10. Robinson gave up 14 hits, but struck out 15 before winning pitcher Raegyn Foster came on to record the final out in the eighth.
Sullivan went 3 for 4 with a home run and two RBIs, and Baleigh Fish went 3 for 4 with a double. Robinson went 2 for 3 with a double, a homer and two RBIs.
“It’s a great win,” East coach Rusty Brummett said. “Defensively, we had a few miscues that kind of kept the ballgame close. Hermione pitched a great ballgame and was fighting and batting the whole way. We put some balls in play, did some stuff right and Mackenzie put a nice ball down the line. But we had two or three good at bats that inning leading up to the bases-loaded hit.”
Foster started the second game in the circle, and the Olympians were within 3-1 after four innings. But the Marauders reached her for three runs in the fifth and added four off Fish in the sixth to pull away.
“Again defensively, we had a few miscues,” Brummett said. “I thought our pitchers really did pretty well. That team is good. They’re going to square up a few balls and hit them hard, but you have to limit those shots, and I thought we did. Our pitchers were getting pop-ups and stuff. We just didn’t play defense the way we can.”
East (6-3) was held to three hits in the second game. Robinson went 2 for 3 and knocked in the lone Olympian run with an RBI-single in the first.
“Their coach does a great job with their program,” Brummett said. “Anytime you can get a win against a program like that, it’s a good win. That’s a great doubleheader to have going into (Columbus) North on Monday. Columbus North has a great program.”
East will visit the Bull Dogs at 5 p.m. Monday to begin a stretch of six games in six days against sectional or conference opponents. The Olympians host Floyd Central on Wednesday, Seymour on Thursday, Shelbyville on Friday and a doubleheader with Franklin on Saturday.
“You have to play the people to beat the people. Mt. Vernon has a great program,” Brummett said. “We’re playing Shelbyville on Friday and Center Grove in a couple of Saturdays. We picked up Avon. We want to play the best so we can figure out how to win.”
