Published: May 07, 2008 12:04 am            

Casey softball stays red hot, improves to 21-4

Casey, Ill. — Casey won its sixth straight high school softball game Tuesday, defeating Paris 10-0 in a game that ended in the sixth inning at Fairview Park.

The Warriors improved to 21-4 and began what will be a final busy final week of the regular season, weather permitting.

They are at Mount Zion today for a makeup doubleheader, then will be at Newton for a single game Thursday and play host to Indianapolis Cathedral for a doubleheader Saturday with that action followed by the rescheduled 100-inning fund-raising contest.

“That could be a long day,” said coach Katie O’Connell.

Casey scored all the runs it needed in the first frame when Mac Connelly singled with two outs and scored on the only Paris error of the game played in cloudy, warm and breezy conditions with a light rain falling briefly moments before the game ended via the 10-run rule.

The Warriors plated seven runs in the second frame when Jana Akers, the Paris starter, hit the first two batters. Katie Stinson and winning pitcher Heather Austin each drove in two runs in the inning as Casey made the most of three hits.

“We had good opportunities and took advantage of them,” O’Connell said after the contest.

Megan Murphy hit her first homer of the year in the third to put her team up 9-0 and she singled and scored the game-ending 10th run in the sixth. She was 3 for 4 for the day with two RBIs.

Stinson was 2 for 3 with a double and Austin also rapped a double. Austin allowed four hits, struck out 10 Tigers and walked three.

She issued two of her walks in the first frame but the Tigers left both runners on base. Paris also had two runners on in the third when Shelby Leeman hit a leadoff double. Keli Fuqua, who relived Akers on the mound in the third, also had a double for the 19-8 Tigers.

“I wish we could take back that second inning. Today was the first time for us to be shut out and to lose by the 10-run rule. Casey is a very strong team,” said Paris coach Jerry Whitaker.

The Tigers conclude the regular season with a game at Rantoul on Thursday and will begin Robinson Regional play at home Monday, playing host to Marshall. Casey is at Fairfield for regional play in its bid for another trip to the state finals — its first in the revised four-class format.

The Warriors will be without freshman second baseman Kara Repp, whose season ended with a wrist injury. She underwent surgery Tuesday.

“We had to make some adjustments on defense with Bri Athey moving to second after catching,” said O’Connell.



Paris 000 000 — 0 4 1

Casey 171 001 — 10 8 0

Game ended with no outs, sixth inning

Akers, Fuqua (3) and Spesard; Austin (W, 11-3) and Stinson. L — Akers, 9-4. HR — C: Murphy.

Next — Casey (21-4) plays a makeup doubleheader today at Mount Zion. Paris (19-8) is at Rantoul on Thursday.

        

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