The Republic Lady Tigers ran their season-opening win streak to five games, and this time they really had to work for it. After winning their last three games by a combined score of 49-0, the Lady Tigers went down to the wire before defeating Carthage Thursday, 7-5. Carthage scored three runs in the top of the 7th inning and had the bases loaded with one out, before Rachel Rook struck out the last two batters to seal the win.
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Molly Zinecker continued her hot start at the plate, going 4-for-4 with three runs batted in to lead the Lady Tigers. Caty Eby and Lauren Strobel each had two hits. Taylor Gold scored three runs for the Lady Tigers, who banged out 13 hits total against losing pitcher Megan Taylor.
One day after pitching a no-hitter, and in the circle for the third day in a row, Rook struggled at times, but did just enough to earn another win. She allowed five runs on nine hits, and walked six. But she also tallied 11 strikeouts — another career high — including two strikeouts when she needed them most.
Leading 7-2, Rook walked the first two batters in the top of the 7th, then allowed a single before striking out Kensey Sageser. A single, a hit batter, and another single cut the score to 7-5, and left the bases loaded with the heart of Carthage’s order coming to the plate. But Rook reached back to fan #2 hitter Leigh Ann Craig and #3 hitter Mika Bolton to end the game.
Republic had jumped on top in the bottom of the 2nd inning, scoring four runs after two were out. Carthage scored a single run in the 4th, and Republic extended the lead to 5-1 in the 5th. Carthage made it 5-2 with a tally in the top of the 6th, but Republic answered with two more runs in the bottom of the inning, and those two runs would turn out to be the difference.
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