Du Quoin softball beats Sparta, falls to Steeleville

DU QUOIN - The Du Quoin High School softball team used timely hitting Tuesday to beat Sparta, 8-4, and avenge an earlier SIRR Mississippi Division loss.

Seven of the eight runs came with two-out hits.

Chloe Hill got the pitching win and also had three hits and two RBIs at the plate. Katie Smith and Grace Haney also had two hits, Avery Waller ripped a two-run single, Chloe Hess had an RBI hit and Avery Shivley came off the bench to deliver a two-RBI single in the win.

Hill retired the first eight batters she faced and finished with six strikeouts.

Then on Wednesday, the Lady Indians held a 4-1 lead against Steeleville going into the sixth inning but suffered a tough 8-5 loss.

Steeleville's seven-run rally in the sixth started with a homer by Lexi Middendorf, then the next five batters reached and scored. The No. 9 batter plated two more and scored the final run on a triple by Middendorf, who also tripled and scored in the fourth inning.

Haney hit a two-run homer as part of a three-hit day, while Hiill and Hess both had two hits in the loss.

"We played pretty good for about five innings," said Du Quoin coach Jason James. "We just have a hard time closing out games. We know we can play with these teams, we just have to finish."

Du Quoin's record shifted to 10-7 overall and 3-4 in conference after the two games.

The Lady Indians play at home Friday against Anna-Jonesboro.