By Staff
LINDSBORG – The 2023 season wait for a victory is over for the Smoky Valley softball team as they not only put a mark in the win column Tuesday, they did it twice with a home field sweep of visiting Nickerson.
Now 2-4 overall and 2-2 in Central Kansas League action, the Lady Vikings will be back on the competitive diamond on Thursday with a road trip to Hillsboro.
In game one Smoky Valley scored four times in each of the first two innings and after Nickerson scored a run in the top of the fourth, they poured eight runs across in the bottom of the fourth to not only earn a decisive 16-1 win, they also run ruled and shortened the game with just two outs in the bottom of the fourth.
Karee Adam worked the mound for the Lady Vikings and earned her first win of the season.
At the plate, Jordyn Elseth, Karee Adam and Kayla Norberg each recorded a pair of hits while both Sophia Fruits and Ashlyn Cornett both scored three times and Elseth, Karee Adam, Rylie Tolle, and Ava Broxterman all scored twice.
The second game was much tighter as Smoky Valley took and early 4-0 lead in the first inning when Nickerson pulled within one at 4-3 in the top of the second. The Lady Panthers took a three run, 7-4, lead by scoring four times in the top of the fourth. The Lady Vikings added a run in the bottom of the fourth and Nickerson put one more on the board in the top of the sixth to hold an 8-5 advantage entering the final inning.
After holding Nickerson scoreless in the top of the seventh, Smoky Valley pushed across four runs in the bottom of the inning and scored the winning run with two outs, getting the final one-run, 9-8 victory.
With Maggie Ryals getting her first win of the season on the mound, it was Rylie Tolle who lead the bats as she recorded a double, scored twice and had two runs batted in.
Jordyn Elseth and Kelsee Adam both scored twice in the game as well.
SMOKY VALLEY SOFTBALL hosting Nickerson
GAME 1:
Scoring: Nickerson > 0-0-0-1-x-x-x = 1-4-4; LADY VIKINGS > 4-4-0-8-X-X-X = 16-10-0.
LADY VIKINGS PITCHING > Karee Adam (W) – now 1-2 for season.
LADY VIKING HITTING > Jordyn Elseth – 2 hits, 2 runs scored; Karee Adam – 2 hits; Sophia Fruits – 3 runs scored; Kayla Norberg – 2 hits; Ashlyn cornett – 3 runs scored; Rylie Tolle – 1 hit, 2 runs scored; Ava Broxterman – 1 hit, 2 runs scored; Campbell Gaskill – 1 hit, 2 runs bated in; Allison Hipp – 1 hit, 2 runs batted in.
GAME 2:
Scoring: Nickerson > 0-3-0-4-0-1-0 = 8-4-4; LADY VIKINGS > 4-0-0-1-0-0-4 = 9-3-3 (2 outs when winning run scored).
LADY VIKING PITCHING > Maggie Ryals (W) – now 1-2 for season.
LADY VIKING HITTING > Jordyn Elseth – 2 runs scored; Karee Adam – 1 hit; Kelsee Adam – 2 runs scored; Rylie Tolle – double, 2 runs scored, 2 runs batted in; Campbell Gaskill – 1 hit, 1 run scored.
(The Staff covering events for the MAC AREA SPORTS NEW can be reached by email at crossdovewriter@gmail.com)