HUMBOLDT — Humboldt junior Jo Ellison threw a near perfect game with a 12-strikeout performance to guide the Humboldt Lady Cubs into the second round of the regional tournament with a 14-0 victory.
The Lady Cubs made quick work of Udall after downing the Eagles by fifth-inning mercy-rule while hosting the opening round.
As Ellison kept Udall off the scoreboard, and tallied her 200th career strikeout, the Lady Cubs quickly asserted themselves with seven runs in the opening frame. Senior shortstop Laney Hull posted the first of her team-leading three RBIs with a single, then junior outfielder Kamry De La Torre drove in a pair of runners at the next at-bat. Junior outfielder Lakyn Meadows drove in De La Torre, then scored on an infield error. Another Udall error resulted in another pair of runs for the Lady Cubs.
Ellison was not the only Lady Cub with a perfect night Monday. Sophomore outfielder Addisn Drake, who tied Hull in RBIs, plated her first runner in the third inning with a chopper into left field while successful in 3 of 3 at-bats. Junior first baseman Kinley Hart then plated Drake with an RBI single and Hull picked up her second and third RBIs after driving in Hart and senior second baseman Skylar Hottenstein.
Leading 11-0 going into the fourth, the Lady Cubs padded their lead with a two-RBI Drake fly ball and a Hottenstein base-clearing triple. A trio of consecutive Ellison strikeouts closed the contest before the Lady Cubs’ fifth inning at-bat.
Drake and Hart tied for the team lead in hits with three each. Hottenstein had two hits and an RBI.
With the win, the Lady Cubs improved their record to 18-9. They face third-seed Burden Central (20-3) at 3 p.m. Thursday, on the campus of Pittsburg State University. If they advance, the Lady Cubs face the winner of the contest featuring second-seed Colgan (22-3) and Oxford (12-9), which will take place 25 minutes after the conclusion of Humboldt’s game.
