Lady Indians erupt for 19-9 win over Anna-Jonesboro
DU QUOIN - Facing a four-run deficit after a half inning, the Du Quoin High School softball team responded quickly.
The Lady Indians plated nine runs in the bottom of the first and went on to pummel Anna-Jonesboro, 19-9 in five innings, Friday evening.
Kaylee Aleshire had four hits and five RBIs for Du Quoin, which improved to 11-7 overall and 4-4 in the SIRR Mississippi Division with the victory.
"When you give up four runs in the first, you don't know what's going to happen," said Du Quoin coach Jason James. "The girls did a great job of stepping up and answering their four and getting the lead."
The rally started with Katie Smith drawing a walk and Morgan Bullar and Chloe Hill reaching on errors around Grace Haney popping up for the first out.
Chloe Hess also reached on an error and then Avery Waller smacked a hit that was misplayed to allow two runs to score, then Olivia Whitley hustled her way into an RBI double. Aleshire, Maci McKinnies and Smith all followed with hits in the rally, which included a pair of runs scoring on wild pitches.
"We've been taking better swings," James said. "This same pitcher shut us down when we played at Anna. We didn't have a hit until the sixth. We were able to change things up and get ourselves motivated today."
In the rarity column, Haney ended up making both the first and last outs of the first inning and with solid robbery contact both times.
Du Quoin kept A-J off the board in the second and third innings and added four runs to the lead in the second with hits from Hess, Waller, Aleshire and an important two-run single by McKinnies.
Aleshire, batting in the No. 8 spot in the order, added a two-run homer in the fourth and drove in two more with a double in the fifth. The senior outfielder finished a triple away from the cycle.
Waller, who batted sixth, added three hits for the Lady Indians.
"We had a few kids step up," James said. "The bottom of the order really came through again because it always seems like it's the same kids that get the hits. ... This is how we should be every day. Maybe not with the doubles and triples, but putting the ball in play and making the other team field the ball."
Du Quoin's original schedule had it playing at Massac County's tournament on Saturday but it was canceled. The Lady Indians are slated to play at Nashville on Monday and then host Pinckneyville in a makeup conference game Tuesday and play at Herrin on Wednesday.