CHEROKEE — Charles Dickens surely didn’t have Marmaton Valley High’s softball team in mind when he penned his epic novel “A Tale of Two Cities.”
Nevertheless, the iconic opening line — “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” — certainly fit the Wildcats’ day on the diamond Monday.
Marmaton Valley started out like gangbusters, plating nine runs in the first inning of a 17-4 romp over Southeast of Cherokee, the squad’s first win of the 2023 season..
But the magic dissipated rather quickly in Monday’s nightcap.
The host Lancers exploded for seven runs in the first and 16 more in the second to roll, 23-1.
The split puts Marmaton Valley at 1-5 headed into a doubleheader at Crest on Thursday. First pitch is set for 3:30 p.m.
Brooklyn Adams, Braelyn Sutton and Payton Scharff set the tables for the first-inning explosion in the opener. All three reached base twice in the frame and came around to score. Haylee Lanham, Mary Brown, Shelby Sprague and Gabby Briggs also scored runs before Southeast got its first turn at bat.
It was more than enough for Tayven Sutton, who limited Southeast to two runs each in the third and fifth innings,while striking out 11.
Tayven Sutton scored for MV to make it 10-0 in the top of the third. She and Scharff both scored in a two-run fifth, before Adams, Scharff, Brown, Sprague and Bailey LaRue put the game away in a five-run sixth.
But some troubles with the strike zone, including four hit batters, three walks and an error doomed MV’s chances in Game 2.
Six walks and six hit Lancer batters in the second inning ended the game.
Adams accounted for Marmaton Valley’s only run in the top of the third inning.
