SOFTBALL: Herrin holds Du Quoin to four hits

Du Quoin had just four hits and left thirteen runners stranded on base in their 8-2 home loss to Herrin on Wednesday. The Lady Tigers broke open a tie game with five runs in the top of the fifth inning.

Jordyn Bullar singled and later scored on a wild pitch to give the Lady Indians a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, then Herrin struck back with a run in the top of the second on singles by Lexi Childers and Bethany Meadows.

The Lady Tigers led briefly after a Du Quoin error led to a run in the top of the third, but Amanda Atteberry's RBI single in the bottom of that inning tied the game at 2-2.

The Lady Indians' offense couldn't sustain a rally after that, though, stranding their final ten base runners of the game while the Tigers pounced on DHS starter Marisa Ferguson in a five-run fifth. Makaya Smothers tripled during the big inning for Herrin, then hit a solo homer in the top of the sixth to extend the lead even further.

"Again we struggled at the plate but we will continue to work," said Du Quoin head coach Jason James. "We've just got to keep pushing through. Got to build confidence."

Bullar (1-2, 2 R, 2 BB), Atteberry (1-3, RBI, BB), Sydney Lewis (1-4) and Kat Robison (1-3, SAC) had DHS's four hits against Herrin.

The Lady Indians (12-14, 3-6) host Anna-Jonesboro on Friday afternoon.