Lady Trojans fall to Henderson 8-2 in District tourney opener
By CHARLIE HUST
A bit of revenge by the Henderson County softball team ended the season for WCHS Monday night in the opening round of the Sixth District Tournament at Union County High School.
The Lady Trojans (15-17) upset Henderson last month in a thrilling 10-inning victory. But the Lady Colonels scored in every inning after the first frame and fashioned an 8-2 victory to advance to Wednesday’s championship game against Union County (26-4).
A solo homer from Andee Powell in the second gave Henderson a lead it would not relinquish. HCHS made it 4-0 in the third and then added single runs in the fourth and fifth innings.
Webster’s only runs came in the fifth when Kayleigh Wood smacked a double and Christian Papineau continued her home run tear, drilling a two-run bomb over the left field wall to trim the lead to 5-2. Webster also stranded eight runners in the setback including a golden opportunity to score in the top of the first when the bases were loaded after two walks and a Lady Colonel fielding error.
Henderson (16-11) answered with a single run in the bottom of the frame and then added pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth to complete the scoring.
The WCHS squad managed just five hits in the contest, one each from Papineau, Jerrica Jones, Kelsey Mays, Madison Townsend and Wood.
Bailey Townsend suffered the pitching, allowing just seven earned runs on 10 hits while walking three and striking out two.
Webster County 4
McLean County 3
After jumping out to a quick 2-0 lead, the Lady Trojans had to rally with two runs in their final at-bat to outlast the Lady Cougars last Thursday in Dixon.
Webster put two runs on the scoreboard in the bottom of the third, highlighted by a lead-off home run from Christian Papineau. The junior shortstop launched a towering shot over the left field fence on the first pitch of the inning for her seventh homer of the season. WCHS then slapped five straight singles, one each from Jerrica Jones, Kelsey Mays, Georgia Keeney, Kerstin Jones and Macye Davis but managed just one run to take a 2-0 lead.
WCHS starting pitcher Bailey Townsend kept the McLean bats silent through five innings, allowing just two hits. But that changed in the top of the sixth when the young Lady Cougar squad erupted with a double, triple and two singles to plate three runs and grab a 3-2 lead.
But Papineau again provided the heroics for Webster in the bottom of the seventh with a ‘walk-off’ single that chased home the winning run and give WCHS the victory. Davis opened the inning with a single, followed by a double from Kristin Jones. One out later Madison Townsend reached on a bunt to load the bases. Kayleigh Wood smacked a single to bring in Davis and tie the game at 3-3. Papineau, who was 3-for-5 at the plate, followed with another RBI-single for the game-winner.
Madison Townsend, Kristin Jones, Davis, Mays and Jerrica Jones all had two hits in the victory.
Webster County 2
Harrisburg, IL 9
A very strong Harrisburg squad rolled into Dixon on Friday and flexed it muscles with 13 hits and rode the excellent pitching of senior right-hander Whitney Jones to the win.
Jones limited the Lady Trojans to just five hits while striking out seven. Three of those hits came off the bat of the red-hot Christian Papineau. The junior whacked her eighth home run of the season, an opposite-field solo blast in the bottom of the first that trimmed the lead to 3-1.
Harrisburg made it 4-1 in the third and then erupted for five runs on four hits in the sixth for a comfortable 9-1 lead.
Webster got its final tally in the bottom of the frame when Papineau drilled a triple and easily scored on a double from Jerrica Jones. Georgia Keeney had WC’s only other hit, a single in the fourth.
Webster County 9
Caldwell County 2
For the third time this season, the WCHS girls had an easy time with Caldwell County, pounding out 12 hits on Saturday in the Lady Trojans’ final regular season game.
Madison Townsend, Kayleigh Wood, Jerrica Jones, Kristin Jones and Bailey Townsend all collected two hits in the win. Kelsey Mays had a single and three RBI while Georgia Keeney added a single and RBI.
A double from Jerrica Jones, plus a single by Mays and a sac fly from Kristin Jones gave Webster a quick 2-0 in the first.
Meanwhile, WC senior hurler Bailey Townsend was on her game, firing a complete-game two-hitter while striking out four and allowing just one earned run.
The Lady Tigers made 2-1 in the third but Webster answered in the bottom of the fourth with four runs. Jones and Madison Townsend singled followed by a double from Wood. After a walk to Papineau, Jerrica Jones singled in another and Mays drove home the fourth run with a sac fly.
Webster put the game away in the sixth with three more runs. Papineau and Jones reached on a error consecutive errors and Papineau easily scored on another sac fly from Mays. A double from Georgia Keeney and a single from Kristin Jones both drove home runs. Macye Davis also had a sacrifice fly to plate a run in the inning.