Kennedy Smithson didn’t walk a batter Friday, and the only run Columbia Battle scored off her was unearned.
The Republic sophomore pitched a complete game in the Lady Tigers’ 7-1 win over Battle at the Springfield Invitational. In six innings, she allowed seven hits, all singles, and struck out two. She also went 2-for-3 at the plate and drove in two runs that helped break the game open.
Battle scored in the first inning, when Ava Moorehead singled, moved to third on a groundout and a passed ball and scored on another groundout. That was the last time the Spartans scored.
Smithson helped tie it in the fourth. Emma Ellison doubled to center, and Smithson reached on an error by the third baseman to bring Ellison home. Harper Lankford came in to run for her, went to third on Madi Chevalier’s single and stole home to give Republic a 2-1 lead.
Mia Carnes tagged out a Battle runner trying to steal second to end the bottom of the fourth, and Smithson struck out two batters in the fifth.
In the sixth, Kendra Goeke and Ellison drew back-to-back walks with one out, and Smithson singled to center to score them both and make it 4-1. Lankford scored on an error on Maddie Carter’s pop fly, and Myleigh Mooneyham doubled to left to drive in Carter and Chevalier.
Game page →Battle put two runners on with one out in the bottom of the sixth on back-to-back singles. Smithson got a pop out and a fly ball to right to end the game.
It was Republic’s only win of the Springfield Invitational. The Lady Tigers lost 3-2 to Bolivar earlier that day and lost to Liberty, Rolla and Francis Howell on Saturday.
Smithson is a left-hander and new to Republic’s pitching staff this fall. She went back to the circle the next day and pitched all five innings of a 4-3 loss to Rolla.
No walks, no earned runs and two base hits, and Kennedy Smithson’s complete game against Battle is our Performance of the Week.
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