A highly-anticipated bout against the state’s No. 1 team, McCracken County, didn’t fall Christian County’s way Saturday afternoon, losing 11-1 in five innings at Marshall County High School’s Marshall County Slugfest.
Signed to the University of Louisville’s Class of 2022, Lady Colonels centerfielder Pickle Winkler came away with one of the team’s two hits against University of Kentucky signee Ally Hutchins — who struck out eight and surrendered just one walk and one earned run in 3 2/3 innings.
Down 9-0 in the top of the fourth inning, Winkler reached safely as the leadoff, advanced to second and eventually scored on a misplayed bunt from Riley Hancock. Avery Adcock hit her ninth double of the season to keep the threat alive, before back-to-back strikeouts and a groundout to short snuffed the opportunity.
McCracken County would somewhat controversially spot itself a 4-0 lead after the first inning. After Gracie Harned issued a leadoff walk to Rhea-Lee Joiner, Ellie Shoulders’ well-placed bunt hit her three times as she tracked up the first base line.
With no eyes prying in on the play, Shoulders safely took first. It was an out the Lady Colonels and starting pitcher Gracie Harned could’ve used. Hutchins, Annie White, Izzy Story and Zoe Smithson roped RBI singles in four of the Lady Mustangs’ next five at-bats.
That unfortunately chased Harned, who finished with four earned runs and two walks in a third of a frame. Sheri Hancock’s ace, Riley, went the next 2 2/3 innings — but the Lady Mustangs kept pace. In the bottom of the second inning, a leadoff single from Shoulders was followed with an infield error and three consecutive walks for a 6-0 advantage. Story’s sacrifice fly to deep left foul territory made it 7-0, before a terrific double play from third to first mitigated some damage.
In the bottom of the third inning, Shoulders and K.G. Walker each had RBI singles for McCracken County to make it 9-0. And it could’ve been more, but Lady Colonels catcher Karlee Crick channeled her inner Yadier Molina — and picked off two runners trying to advance and steal.
Allie Houchens came in for 1 2/3 innings of relief for Christian County, snagging a strikeout while giving up one walk and the final two earned runs in the bottom of the fifth, as Hutchins and Walker roped back-to-back RBI singles to end it.
The Lady Mustangs came into the contest having won 12 straight games to start the 2022 campaign, and earlier this week moved into the MaxPreps national rankings at 23rd overall in the country.
Naturally, Hancock (the coach) was frustrated with the first inning. It put the Lady Colonels in an early bind, and one they never could recover from as the game progressed.
One really strong silver lining, however, was that the Christian County battery did limit McCracken County’s power in the batter’s box. Coming into Saturday’s game, the Lady Mustangs had clubbed 70 extra base hits: 40 doubles, five triples and 25 home runs.
Against the Lady Colonels, the Lady Mustangs had one harmless double from senior Ariel Fox in the bottom of the third frame.
Next up for Christian County: a home date with Caldwell County on April 18 before a serious road swing in the First Region against Calloway County (April 19), Marshall County (April 21) and Graves County (April 22).
In Saturday’s very next game, McCracken County fell to No. 4 South Warren 10-9 for its first loss of the season. Down 10-5 heading into the bottom of the seventh, Smithson blasted a 3-run homer to get the Lady Mustangs within a run — before a strikeout crumpled the comeback.
No. 1 McCRACKEN COUNTY 11, CHRISTIAN COUNTY 1 (5 inn.)
Lady Colonels (11-4) 000 10 — 1 2 2
Lady Mustangs (13-0) 432 02 — 11 13 1
WP: Ally Hutchins (6-0, K.G. Walker); LP: Gracie Harned (5-3, Karlee Crick)
2B: CC — Avery Adcock; MC — Ariel Fox. 3B: none. HR: none.
Top Hitters
CC: Pickle Winkler 1-2 (R, SB), Avery Adcock 1-2 (2B). MC: Ellie Shoulders 3-4 (2 R, RBI), K.G. Walker 2-2 (3 RBI), Ally Hutchins 2-2 (2 BB, 2 RBI, R), Annie White 1-2 (2 RBI), Izzy Story 1-2 (2 RBI).
