SOFTBALL: Waller drives in five, Lady Warriors top PJHS

Du Quoin Middle School piled up 20 runs on just nine hits - seven of them by Avery Waller and Bailey Harsy - while routing the Junior Lady Panthers 20-9 in five innings on Wednesday in Pinckneyville.

Maddie Robison allowed ten hits to PJHS, but just two earned runs while striking out four.

"I really thought Robison threw well today," said DMS head coach Jason James. "Waller was big at plate, driving in five runs, while Harsy and (Chloe) Hess both brought home three apiece. (Lauren) Heape has been a spark for us the last two games as well, I really love her work ethic."

"We just have to keep working and learning the game. We have and will continue to improve."

Waller drove in her first run in the top of the first inning with a single, but Pinckneyville was better out of the gate plating four runs in the bottom of the frame. Adi Foutch (single) and Kally Mayo had RBIs in the rally.

But while that would be the Lady Panthers' biggest blow on the scoreboard, Du Quoin would explode in their next three at-bats.

Heape (single), Ella Hirsch and Waller (two-run double) drove in runs during the Lady Warriors' six-run second inning. Hess and Waller (two-run single) delivered RBIs in the third, another six-run frame for DMS.

A seven-spot for the Warriors in the fourth proved to be the knockout blow.

Hess (1-5, 3 RBI), Waller (3-3, 5 RBI, 2B, BB), Harsy (4-4, 3 RBI, 2B) and Heape (1-3, RBI, BB) had DMS's hits.

Pinckneyville got their hits from Foutch (3-3, RBI), Mayo (1-3, 2 RBI), Leal Thies (2-3, BB), Deja Jenkel (2-3, RBI), Kenzie Lloyd (1-3) and Melina Opp (1-3).