Lady Patriots crush Kirk, North Delta

The Marshall Academy softball team was on a mission when it traveled to Grenada Monday, Sept. 8.

Mission accomplished. The Lady Patriots avenged an earlier- season loss to District 1-3A rival Kirk Academy and did it in big fashion, a 16-2 win.

MA, already leading 4-2, exploded for 12 runs in the fourth through sixth innings. Charlie Johnson and Gracie Rappa powered a 19-hit offensive outburst. Johnson had four hits, including three doubles, and she drove in five runs. Rappa contributed four hits, two of those doubles, plus she had two runs-batted-in and scored five runs. Aurora Cervantes had three hits and three RBIs, and Eliza Cavender also added three hits. Luci Tomlinson had two hits and stole two bases.

Kyleigh Milliorn was the winning pitcher. In six innings, she gave up three hits, struck out six and walked two.

The next day, Sept. 9, Marshall returned to the home ballpark and crushed North Delta 11-0 in a shortened contest due to the run rule.

The Lady Patriots scored five runs in the bottom of the

first and kept rolling. Getting two hits each in the victory were Rappa, Johnson and Cavender.

Cavender earned the win from the circle. In four innings of work, she struck out three, gave up two hits and walked one.

Marshall hit the road once again on Thursday of last week, going to Greenwood and falling 7-1 to Pillow Academy, a team it had defeated at home this season. MA had just four hits and committed five errors in the field.

The Lady Patriots played in the Parklane Tournament Saturday. It was held at Southwest Mississippi Community College in Summit.

They won a 9-8 thriller over Oak Forest Academy in their opening game. Tomlinson singled to drive in the winning run in the bottom of the eighth. Johnson shined offensively with three hits and four RBIs. Milliorn also had three hits, and she was the winning pitcher. In eight innings from the circle, she struck out three, walked two and gave up 10 hits. The MA offense was on fire with 17 hits in the win.

The Lady Patriots then lost game their other contest in the tourney, 7-0 to the host school, Parklane. They had only two hits.

MA (12-8) was scheduled to host DeSoto School on Monday of this week and district opponent West Memphis Christian School Tuesday. Next Monday, Sept. 22, the Lady Patriots travel to Lee Academy in Clarksdale for their final district contest of the season.