Wildcats’ softball sweeps, baseball drops two

MORAN — Marmaton Valley High’s softball team kicked off the 2015 season in fine fashion Tuesday, rolling to wins of 18-2 and 22-7 over visiting Altoona-Midway High.
The fun started in the first inning when Marmaton Valley jumped to a 6-0 lead on only one hit, Ashlynn Pinkerton’s double. Three walks and two errors did the rest of the damage.
The lead grew to 11-1 after two innings, and the game was halted after the Wildcats tacked on seven more runs in the third.
Pinkerton held Altoona-Midway’s batters in check, allowing only two hits and a walk with six strikeouts.
Every Wildcat starter but one scored. Doing the damage: Emily Boyd, a single and two runs; Isabelle Bigelow, a single and three runs; Pinkerton, a single and double with two runs; Shauna Knight, a single and two runs; Jesse Gardner, a single and three runs; Emily Smart, three runs; Kenzie Harrison, a single and two runs, and Shayla Brooks, a run.
The Jets jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead in the second game, but it only delayed the inevitable.
The Wildcats responded with eight in the bottom of the first to take the lead for good.
This time, every Marmaton Valley starter scored a run. They were: Boyd, two doubles and three runs; Makayla Brooks, two singles and three runs; Knight, a single and a run; Gardner, four runs; Jailen Adams, three runs; Makenzie Harrison, two runs; Kaitlyn Knavel, two runs; Tanna Lutz, a run; and Alex Thomas, two runs.

MARMATON VALLEY’S baseball team weren’t as lucky. The team lost to Jayhawk-Linn 19-0 and 13-1.
“I didn’t really know what to expect going into the first game. I knew Jayhawk-Linn would be tough,” coach Derek Scharff said. “I thought we would hit the ball a lot better then we did. We have to put the bat on the ball and make the other team field. We have good speed this year and need guys on base so we can use it.”
Gage Adams accounted for the Wildcat’s only hit in the first game’s 19-0 loss. Shaun Frye drew a walk to get on base.
In game two, Keagan Boyd went 2-3 with two singles and an RBI in the 13-1 loss. Frye got the start, going 5 1/3 innings. He walked two, gave up six hits, struck out six and gave up 11 runs (seven earned).
“Shaun did a great job pitching,” Scharff said. “We fielded the ball well for five innings and then the wheels fell off. I may have left Shaun in a little too long. I think he got tired and then they started hitting him in the late innings. We made a few errors that didn’t help. We did a better job putting the bat on the ball.”
Marmaton Valley’s softball and baseball teams travel to Northeast on Tuesday.