MORAN — It’s only a rumor that the scoreboard operator at Monday’s season-opening softball doubleheader between Marmaton Valley and Southeast had to be put on the disabled list due to exhaustion.
Still, runs aplenty was the theme, as Southeast topped the host Wildcats in both games, 24-17 and 32-16.
“The score doesn’t reflect how hard the girls played,” Marmaton Valley head coach Brenda Mills said, noting walks plagued the Wildcat pitching staff. Marmaton Valley’s pitchers surrendered a combined 41 walks over the two games, 27 in the nightcap.
Still, MV showed plenty of grit, rebounding from an early 4-1 deficit to tie the score at 3-3. The Wildcats trailed 14-8 after 5 ½ innings, but scored nine in the bottom of the sixth to take a three-run lead.
Alas, Southeast knotted the score in the top of the seventh to force extra innings, then erupted for seven in the eighth to seal the win.
Aly Ard paced the offense with three singles and a triple, with four runs scored. Brooklyn Adams had a single, double and two runs. Kendall Scharff had a single and a run. Payton Scharff blasted a home run, singled and scored three times. Madi Lawson added two doubles and a triple, with a run. Mary Brown scored three times; Tayven Sutton twice.
Southeast started quickly and never allowed the Wildcats to catch up, leading 6-4 after one inning, 17-9 after three and 22-12 after four.
The Lancers scored 10 in the fifth to pull away, although Marmaton Valley fought valiantly to the end, scoring four in the bottom of the fifth before the game ended.
Sutton singled and tripled, with three runs. Lawson followed with three singles and three runs. Bailey LaRue singled twice with a pair of runs.
Others contributing: Kendall Scharff, double, two runs; Payton Scharff, single, two runs; Haynes, a single and a run; Louinici, two runs; and Ard, one run.
“We just have to keep playing hard,” Mills said, noting MV has only two seniors and six underclassmen on its roster. “The girls did well on their first time out. I’m proud of their effort.”
IN BASEBALL action, Southeast defeated Marmaton Valley, 16-0 and 20-4, to open the season.
Monday’s games marked the first baseball action for the Wildcats since the 2019 season. Marmaton Valley didn’t have enough players to field a team last spring, or in 2020.
Individual statistics were unavailable.
Marmaton Valley’s softball team hosts Crest on Thursday. The Wildcat baseball game against Crest was pushed back to April 14.
