Monett pitcher Haley Williams may have breathed a sigh of relief when she got past the heart of Republic’s lineup in the top of the 1st inning without giving up a run. But the bottom half of the Lady Tiger lineup made sure her relief didn’t last long, keying a big second inning that sparked a 12-0 win on the road for Republic.
The back half of the batting order–Sydney Phillips, Allie Stolte, Rachel Rook, Marlee Scroggins, and Allie McAtee–shouldered the offensive load for Republic, combining to go 6-for-12 with 10 runs scored and six runs batted in. Scroggins led the way with two hits, two runs, and two RBIs. Rook drove in four runs in addition to picking up the win as the starting pitcher.
“The bottom of our lineup got us going early. They really stepped up,” says coach Lee Dishman. “They’re a bunch of young girls who don’t have a lot of varsity experience, but once they got us going, the older girls kind of picked it up in the middle half we kept on rolling.”
After Republic took a 4-0 lead in the second inning, they padded it with two more in the third. The Lady Tigers put the game away in the fifth, scoring six more to make it 12-0.
Marlee Scroggins helped spark two big innings for the Lady Tigers, and for her performance, she is the Country Couture Boutique Player of the Game! All season long, Country Couture Boutique is sponsoring a player of the game for Lady Tigers softball. Stop in to their store across from Casey’s on Highway 174 for a complete selection of softball and other Tiger and Lady Tiger apparel.
The top of the order didn’t exactly sit this one out. Caty Eby and Emily Hall had two hits apiece, as well.
Rook turned in her second shutout to start the season, working five scoreless innings. She struck out nine, walked one, and allowed two base hits. She has begun the season with eight consecutive scoreless innings.
