Rachel Rook struck out 12 batters and pitched a no-hitter in a 10-0 win at home against Jefferson City. But that wasn't the most fun she had Monday evening.
Rook also connected for her first career home run, a shot over the centerfield fence to give the Lady Tigers a 1-0 lead in the early going. She says she enjoyed the home run more because she's never done it before–at least not in a game.
I have to thank Coach (Trevyor) Fisher. We play wiffle ball in Lifetime Sports, and I hit a home run today. When I went around, I said ‘We have a home game at 5:00, but that probably won’t happen’––but it did.”
Rook’s home run was all she would have needed, but her teammates put the game away with a nine-run outburst in the bottom of the 6th inning. It included another home run — this one by Ally Stolte — and ended the game an inning early. Stolte and Sydney Phillips each had two hits for the Lady Tigers.
“The whole game, I was struggling a little bit,” Stolte says. “I couldn't get her timed and I was like, ‘You know, I'm just going to go back to the beginning. I'm just going to have confidence, I'm going to go up there. I'm looking for one pitch to drive to put this away.’ She threw me that perfect pitch. There's nothing else I could've done with it.”
It’s not the first time this season Republic has put away an opponent with a big rally in the late innings.
"I just think it takes us a while to get going,” Stolte says. “We get out there, we warm up before a game, we try to get as locked in and focus as we can. We see (the opposing pitcher) one time, we get her timed up…then we just jump on her and it's done."
Republic improves to 12-3. The Lady Tigers are home against Branson Tuesday night.
