Published: May 12, 2008 11:58 pm            

Paris softball gets a win in regional play

Paris, Ill. — Paris was a winner in first-round Class 2A Illinois softball regional action Monday, scoring three times in the sixth stanza to defeat Marshall 8-5.

The 21-8 Tigers defeated Marshall for the third time and will try to beat Newton for the first time in three games in their next contest, meeting the Apollo Conference champs in a Robinson Regional semifinal game slated for 4:30 p.m. Wednesday at Robinson.

Both teams had big innings in Monday’s game. The Tigers scored five times in the second to take a 5-0 lead while the Lions tallied four runs in the top of the sixth to gain a 5-5 tie.

Paris was aided by five Marshall miscues in the second, including a passed ball on a third strike that began the initial outburst. Kalen Eastham had the only hit and RBI in the frame.

Paris starter Kali Fuqua gave up a hit to Marshall leadoff hitter Danielle Davis in the first and did not allow another hit until the sixth, striking out six batters and walking one.

She was backed by a double play in the third.

The Lions took advantage of two errors to score their first run in the fifth frame.

Carly O’Rourke beat out an infield hit to open the sixth for Marshall and scored the Lions’ second run on a double by Mallory Cook. Marshall pitcher Kory Reynolds followed with a single and she and Cook scored on freshman Bailey Lycan’s homer that made it 5-5 on the scoreboard.

Jana Akers relieved Fuqua and did not allow a baserunner in two innings of work, striking out four batters, to get her 11th victory.

Madison Martin singled to open the Paris sixth and scored on a throwing error after advancing to third on a sacrifice by Megan Whitacre.

Shelby Leeman reached on a miscue and Eastham singled. Both scored to hike the Paris lead to three runs.

Eastham had two hits and two RBIs for Paris while Davis reached base three times for Marshall. Cook and Lycan had the only extra-base hits of the contest played in warm, sunshiny weather.

“It is not easy to beat a team three times. Fuqua was doing a good job … Marshall had seen her twice,” said Paris coach Jerry Whitacre.

“Jana did a nice job of coming in and shutting the door,” he added.

“Newton has a nice team. They hit the ball well, play good defense and have good pitching. We will have to be ready to play from the start,” Whitacre said of Wednesday’s game.

Bob Gard concluded his first season as the softball coach at Marshall after coaching baseball for several years. One senior and three freshmen were in the lineup for Monday’s game.

“This was a rebuilding year. We both learned a lot — I got to know the players and they got to know me. We made a lot of progress and cut down on the runs scored by our opponents. We will lose two seniors and should pick up several new players from the freshman class next year,” he said.



Marshall 000 014 0 — 5 5 9

Paris 050 003 x — 8 6 3

Reynolds (L) and Lycan; Fuqua, Akers (6) and Spesard. W — Akers, 11-3. HR — M: Lycan.

Next — Paris (21-8) will play Newton at 4:30 p.m. CDT on Wednesday at Robinson. Marshall finished 4-15.



• Other results — In Class 2A regional play at Fairfield, Mt. Carmel defeated the host team 2-1 and will play top-seeded Casey at 4:30 p.m. CDT today.

In a Class 1A game at North Clay, host North Clay defeated South Central 5-3 and will play second-seeded Oblong today.

Scores had not been reported at press time Class 1A games featuring Martinsville at Dieterich and Chrisman at Fithian-Oakwood or the Class 2A game featuring Lawrenceville at Robinson.

        

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