For the second game in a row, Rachel Rook struck out 16 batters, pitching Republic to a 3-2 win over Webb City at home Tuesday. Rook also stroked three base hits for the Lady Tigers, who scored single runs in each of the first three innings to secure the victory.
Republic scored its first run in the first inning, when Kami Holt, Emily Hall, and Sydney Phillips delivered three consecutive two-out singles. The Lady Tigers made it 2-0 in the second inning on an RBI single by Lauren Strobel.
Webb City tied it up in the top of the 3rd on a two-run triple by Mareika Turpen, but Republic answered with a run in the bottom of the third when an RBI single by Marlee Scroggins scored Alexis Zaragoza.
From there, Rook took over with another stellar effort in the circle. In addition to her 16 strikeouts, she allowed only two base hits and walked two batters. After Republic gave her the lead in the 3rd, she allowed just two baserunners the rest of the way.
Rook is now 16-1 this season with 0.96 earned run average. She had 183 strikeouts in just 109 innings.
Rook also had three base hits. Hall was 2-for-3, and Phillips was 2-for-2 with an RBI.
Rachel Rook walked the leadoff hitter twice, but other than that, she was mostly her usual, unhittable self. Rook allowed just two base hits, and she struck out 16. She was also 3-for-3 at the plate, helping her earn Country Couture Boutique Player of the Game honors. 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 win keeps Republic unbeaten in the Central Ozark Conference at 5-0. It improves their overall record to 17-1. Coach Lee Dishman says he’s not worried about the Lady Tigers carrying the weight of a long winning streak as the season wears on.
“You never want to lose. These close games are going to make us just (as much) better as a loss, so why lose if we’re going to just win a close one and keep gritting it out,” he says. “We show our mental toughness in these close games.”
Republic travels to Neosho Thursday for another COC game, before playing in the Springfield Invitational Tournament over the weekend.