SOFTBALL: Rangerettes rout Du Quoin 10-2 in opener

Benton was the better team in the field, in the pitching circle, and at the plate on Monday at Du Quoin, as the Rangerettes routed the Lady Indians in both teams' season opener 10-2 with a big boost from Katie Sandusky's three-run homer in the top of the fourth inning. Benton out-hit DHS 13-5.

"Benton hit the ball very well," said Du Quoin head coach Jason James. "I thought whenever we laid it in there, they hit it really hard. I didn't think we did, I don't think we did a good job of staying back. We knew what (Benton pitcher Taylor Mosely's) velocity was going to be, she was going to work us away. I thought we got on our front foot and just slapped at it instead of trying to drive it. That's fixable, hopefully it gets better throughout the season."

An error allowed Mosely to score the game's first run in the top of the second, and Sandusky singled and scored in the third after a ground-out RBI by Ally Gisher.

But the big blast came in the top of the fourth when Sandusky belted a three-run bomb of of Du Quoin pitcher Marisa Ferguson, giving the Rangerettes a commanding 6-0 lead.

The Lady Indians finally got on the board in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI single by Jordyn Bullar that plated Sydney Lewis (single), and a bases-loaded walk to Amanda Atteberry to bring in Amber Williams (single), but still trailed 8-2.

"Defensively, if we bobbled it, they took the next base," James said. "They just took off and took advantage of every little mistake we made, and we couldn't put anything together offensively. We went after pitches we probably shouldn't have."

Bullar (1-4, RBI), Lewis (1-3, R), Williams (1-2, R, HBP), Kat Robison (1-3) and Alaina Caldwell (1-3, 2B) hit safely for Du Quoin in the loss.

Ferguson allowed thirteen hits, walked two, and struck out two.

The Lady Indians are off until Saturday when they host Vienna and Marissa for a triple-header at DHS beginning at 11:00.