CHERRYVALE — The Humboldt Lady Cubs locked up the Tri-Valley League title with a little more than a week left in the regular season after sweeping the Cherryvale Chargers 5-1 and 14-6 Tuesday night.
Junior pitcher Jo Ellison held the Charger to just three hits while tallying nine strikeouts in a complete-game effort in the opener while junior Hadley Galloway drove in five runs over both contests to help lift the Lady Cubs past their final hurdle for the TVL title.
Ellison gave up her only run in the opening frame, allowing just three hits and two walks while on the mound. The Lady Cubs went scoreless over the first three innings, until a two-RBI double in the fourth inning by Galloway put Humboldt in control.
In the fifth inning, an RBI triple by senior shortstop Laney Hull, who later scored on a passed ball, gave Humboldt a 4-1 lead and a Galloway RBI single added an insurance run to the Lady Cubs’ lead. Galloway, Hull and junior catcher Leah Carman tied for the team lead in hits with two each.
The Chargers and Lady Cubs matched each other run-for-run in the nightcap, but a six-run seventh inning was too much for Cherryvale to overcome. Similar to the opener, the Lady Cubs played from behind after a slow start, but Hull changed that in the third inning after an RBI double and later reaching home on another errant pitch.
As Hull got the Lady Cubs rolling, freshman pitcher Jady Ellis guided Humboldt through the Chargers’ steady scoring, tallying four strikeouts over seven innings while allowing six runs on 11 hits.
In the fourth inning, Carman extended Humboldt’s lead with a two RBI single, then RBIs by junior first baseman Kinley Hart and senior shortstop Skylar Hottenstein gave them a 7-2 advantage.
Fighting off a sweep, the Chargers tried to chip away at the Lady Cubs’ lead but with every score Humboldt responded with appropriate force until busting the game wide open in the seventh inning.
Galloway was perfect in the batter’s box while successful in 5 of 5 at-bats with two RBIs. Carman was the Lady Cubs’ most productive hitter with three RBIs while hitting in 3 of 4 at-bats.
Following Tuesday’s sweep, the Lady Cubs improved their record to 16-5. They head on the road for a non-league against Frontenac Thursday. First pitch is at 4:30 p.m.
