In game one of a Saturday doubleheader sweep of Paint Valley, Peebles’ Caydence Carroll went 3 for 3 in an 18-7 victory. (Photo by Mark Carpenter)
By Mark Carpenter
People’s Defender
After a rough start with a tough schedule, the Peebles Lady Indians softball squad is slowly turning the corner, The Lady Indians have won four of five, including three in succession last week, to boost their season mark to 5-11.
The first of those three victories came in Southern Hills Athletic Conference play on April 20 as the Lady Indians hosted the Ripley Lady Jays and handed their visitors a 10-5 defeat.
Against the Lady Jays, the Peebles girls started off fast, scoring six runs in their first three at-bats to take a 6-1 lead. Four of those runs came in the bottom half of the second, taking advantage of control issues from Ripley starter Riley Finn. Payton Davis and Abigail Smalley were both hit by pitches and after a Kylie Schumacher sacrifice bunt, Lydia Maddox was also plunked to fill the bases. Kaelyn Musser walked to force home a run, Smalley scored on a wild pitch and a two-base hit by Baylie Johnston plated Maddox. A ground out by Caydence Carroll brought Musser across with the fourth run of the inning.
Ripley tallied two runs in the top of the fifth but the home team answered with one in their half when Musser walked and later scored on an error. The Lady Indians got some solid insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth, scoring three times, two coming home a a Smalley triple to right-center. The Lady Jays scored twice in the top of the seventh when Davis whiffed two of the final three Ripley hitters to close out the Peebles win.
Going 2 for 3 and driving home three, Abigail Smalley led the Peebles offense, while Kaelyn Musser went five innings in the center circle for the win, striking out 10 Lady Jays.
On Saturday morning the Lady Indians were back at home in non-conference action and swept a doubleheader from the Paint Valley Lady Bearcats, both run rule jobs, taking game one 18-7 in five innings and game two 12-2, this time in six innings.
In game one, the Peebles offense collected 14 hits, with Baylie Johnston and Caydence Carroll both having perfect 3 for 3 outings. Two hits each from Kaelyn Musser, Darby Mills and Payton Davis also contributed to the big 18-run effort, eight of those coming in the first inning and six more in the second. Kaelyn Musser pitched all five innings for the winners, striking out nine Lady Bearcats.
In game two, the Lady Indians scored in five of their six at-bats, including four runs in the bottom of the sixth that produced the run rule victory. The walk-off winner came home on a base hit by Kylie Schumacher, scoring Payton Davis with the clinching 12th run.
The Lady Indians were back in action on their home field on Tuesday, April 25 when they faced the once-beaten Manchester Lady Greyhounds in SHAC action.
