By THE HERALD-WHIG STAFF
Quincy High School softball coach Barb Crist wanted her team to start the season on the right foot.
Big days at the plate by Kelsey Price and Lindsay Womack helped the Blue Devils make their coach happy with an 8-2 victory over visiting Macomb on Thursday afternoon.
"Wonderful win," Crist said. "We talked about scoring runs all year, but to jump out and score eight on opening day was wonderful."
Price, who finished a home run away from hitting for the cycle, had a run-scoring triple in the second inning to get the Blue Devils (1-0) on the board. The Bombers tied the game in the top of the fourth, but QHS didn't leave it that way for long.
A run-scoring triple by Jordyn Mecklenburg gave QHS a 2-1 lead, and a bases-loaded triple by Womack pushed the advantage to 5-1.
The Blue Devils eventually scored seven runs in the fourth, taking an 8-1 lead. That was more than enough support for staff ace Mackenzi Fairley, who struck out 14.
"We are improving everyday with our hitting," Crist said. "Everybody came to hit tonight. We really need to build on this."
Griggsville-Perry 10, Unity 0: Aja Hurst and Lacey Emrick helped the Tornadoes breeze past the Mustangs.
Hurst went 3 for 4 with a triple and scored three runs, while Emrick went 3 for 4 with a double and a triple and also scored three runs. Devin Hurst scored two runs and drove in three runs, while Kaytlin Vineyard added a run-scoring double for G-P.
Payson Seymour 8, Rushville-Industry 4: Alese Speckhart struck out 11 batters and went 3 for 5 with five runs batted in to lead Payson. Jordan Epperson and Dakota Flesner each added two hits and a run scored.
PREP BASEBALL
Illini West 2, Aledo 0: Derek Van Fleet worked around a bases load jam in the bottom of the fourth, and the Chargers tacked on single runs in the following innings to grab the season-opening win on the road.
After getting two outs in the fourth, Van Fleet walked three straight to load the bases. Not getting worried, the Illini West junior lefty struck out the final batter to keep the game scoreless.
The Chargers (1-0) capitalized on a fielding error in the top of the fifth to go up 1-0 and added another run on a Luke Burling RBI single to right field in the sixth.
Van Fleet picked up the win, allowing three hits and walking five in five innings. Michael Lafferty worked a scoreless two innings in relief to the save.
Liberty 8, Hamilton 7: A big fourth inning by the host Eagles proved too much, as Hamilton fought back but came up short.
Patrick Clark's two-run single, followed by a two-run triple by Garrett Huber gave the Eagles (1-0) a commanding 7-3 lead in the fourth. Clark (1-0) went the distance on the mound for Liberty, allowing three earned runs and striking out seven.
Pittsfield 9, Payson Seymour 7: Clint Hamilton may have only worked two-thirds of an inning, but the Saukees' reliever made it worth his while.
With the tying run on first for Payson in the bottom of the seventh and already two runs in, Hamilton struck out the final batter to preserve the win and grab the save.
"Those were two huge outs," Pittsfield coach John Schultz said.
The Saukees jumped out to a 3-0 lead following a three-run homer in the top of the first by Bryce Frieden.
Pittsfield (1-0) went up 8-1 after pushing three runs across in the fourth, before the Indians mounted a comeback. Two runs in the fourth, followed by back-to-back single runs in the fifth and sixth helped Payson cut the deficit to 9-5.
"We kept fighting back following that big homer in the first," Payson coach Mike Hamby said. "I thought we may even get them in the seventh, but just couldn't get it."
Frieden finished 2 for 3, while Garrett Howland added two hits.
Justin Oberling went 2 for 3 for the Indians (0-1), finishing with a double and three RBI.
North Shelby 9, Highland 0: A huge day from Josh McEwen led the charge for the Raiders to grab the win at home. McEwen's grand slam highlighted an eight-run fifth inning for North Shelby, who finished with 11 hits.
"That's something we have been expecting from him," North Shelby coach Scott Gaines said of McEwen, who finished 3 for 4 with two doubles. "He really showed what he is capable of doing."
Josh Mesmer added two hits and two RBI for the Raiders (1-0), with Curt Hubbard collecting two hits. North Shelby starting pitcher Bradley Craigmyle (1-0) scattered eight hits, walking two and striking out 10.
Paul Power, Jonathan Williams and Matt Norcross each had two hits for the Cougars (0-1).
Knox County 7, Monroe City 4: The Eagles were able to work around control problems from their starting pitcher to post the win in a game played at Hannibal.
Knox County's Daniel McMahon allowed only one hit and struck out nine, but walked 11.
But the Panthers could only muster one run early on as Knox County piled on two runs in each of the final three innings.
Tyler Adams suffered the loss for Monroe City, allowing only three earned runs, while striking out 13.
Brown County 3, Calhoun 1: Nathan Goudschall did it all for the Hornets. Not only did he go 2 for 3 with a run scored, he also pitched and got the win for Brown County (2-1).
Tied going into the sixth inning, Brown County put Justin Dozier and Grant DeWitt on third and second respectivly. After a wild pickoff throw scored Dozier, Mitch Domire hit a single to left field to put the Hornets up 3-1.
Canton 4, Palmyra 3: Tyler Clark hit a go ahead two-run double in the bottom of the fourth to lead the Tigers to victory. Josh Fellinger pitched the complete game, picking up the win. He also scored a run in the fourth after getting hit by a pitch.
PREP GOLF
Hannibal 186, Mexico 191: The Pirates escaped with an opening season win at Arthur Hills Golf Course in Mexico, Mo.
Despite soggy conditions, Hannibal's Josh Cookson tied Mexico's Dallas Smith for medalist honors with a 45. Michael White and Aaron Quinn finished with 46s for the Pirates, while Chase Clayton added a 49.
PREP TENNIS
QHS 8, Hannibal 1: The Blue Devils dominated, picking up their first win of the season at home. Issac Fee, Fran Cortez, Matt Bier and Graham McDonald won in both singles and doubles play for QHS. Hannibal's lone win came from the duo of Eli Jackson and Daniel Ouellette at No. 3 doubles.
--sports@whig.com/221-3365
