By CHARLIE HUST
The Webster County softball team suffered through a tough week, dropping 3-of-4 games, including an out-right chance of clinching the Sixth District regular season with a loss Monday night at Union County.
The Lady Trojans (8-14) are back in action Thursday at Caldwell County and then host Crittenden County Saturday afternoon in Dixon.
Webster County 1
Union County 11
Union County standout pitcher Emily Hendrickson surrender just three hits in five innings to silence the Lady Trojan bats and lead Union to an easy 11-1 win Monday night in Morganfield.
A victory would have given the Lady Trojans the Sixth District regular season crown after their thrilling win over Henderson County last week.
WC senior hurler Bailey Townsend surrendered eight hits but only three earned runs as she was the victim of some shoddy defense from her teammates. They committed six errors, opening the door to eight unearned runs.
Leading 1-0 after the first inning, UCHS grabbed control of the contest in the bottom of the second, fueled by three hits a pair of critical Webster fielding miscues that led to four runs. The Bravettes pushed the lead to 7-0 in the third and then put the game out of reach in the fourth with another four-run rally. Three errors by Webster in the inning sparked the uprising.
The Lady Trojans’ only run of the game came in their final at bat as Sydney Lewis smacked a lead-off single and was replaced by pinch runner Alison Knight. She dashed to third base on a bunt single from Madison Townsend and then scored three pitches later on a passed ball.
Webster only other hit was a two-out double from Bailey Townsend in the second inning.
Webster County 4
Lyon County 10
The Lady Lyons struck for quick, four-run rally in the first inning and never looked back Saturday afternoon in Dixon. Three hits and a pair of WCHS errors ignited the rally.
Webster cut the lead in half in its half of the inning as Christian Papineau reached on an error and Jerrica Jones bunted safely. Both moved up a base on the double steal and both came sprinting home on Georgia Keeney’s sac fly along with a LCHS throwing error.
Lyon County added four more runs in the fourth off seventh grader Karlie Keeney on two hits along with three more WCHS errors. That lead grew to 10-2 in the fifth on two more hits and two more fielding miscues by the Lady Trojans. Keeney was touched for eight hits and only two earned runs while striking out six.
Webster’s final runs came in the sixth when Kelsey Mays walked and Macye Davis ripped an RBI-triple. She then jogged home on a single from Kristin Jones.
Davis was 2-for-3 while Papineau added a double along with singles from Jerrica Jones, Bailey Townsend and Kristin Jones.
Webster County 0
Hopkins Central 6
Lady Storm pitching ace Whitney Wolfe shutdown the WCHS offense on just three hits in the first game of a doubleheader last Thursday in Mortons Gap.
Georgia Keeney was 2-for-3 for WCHS while Kayleigh Wood had one single.
Webster also struggled defensively, committing six errors that led to five unearned runs. Bailey Townsend allowed seven hits and only one earned run while striking out three.
Central had two-run rallies in the second, third and fourth inning with its final run of the game the only earned run.
Webster County 12
Hopkins Central 3
The Webster bats came alive in Thursday’s nightcap as Jerrica Jones led the way with a 4-for-5 outing, including three runs scored and two RBI. Christian Papineau added a triple and two singles while Alison Knight finished 2-for-4 with two RBI in the 12-hit parade.
Karlie Keeney earned the pitching victory, allowing just three hits while fanning four.
Webster, the designated home team in the twinbill finale, put two runs on the scoreboard in the bottom of the third on RBI-singles from Papineau and Jerrica Jones.
Central cut the lead to 2-1 in the fourth and then tied the game in the fifth. Webster took control of the game in the bottom of the stanza 5-2. Papineau singled, followed by an RBI-triple from Jerrica Jones. Another three-bagger, this one off the bat of Kelsey Mays gave WCHS the lead for good. A bases-loaded walk to Madison Townsend made it 5-2.
HCHS got a single run in the sixth but Kenney cooled the Lady Storm bats the rest of the way and her teammates erupted for seven runs in the final inning.
A lead-off triple from Papineau and a single from Jones made it 6-3. After Georgia Keeney singled, Macye Davis reached on an error and Alison Knight ripped a double to score two. Karlie Keeney matched that double with one of her own and Madison Townsend jumped aboard on another Central fielding error. Both came around to score to complete the scoring.