A big first inning from Livingston Central was too much for the Madisonville-North Hopkins Lady Maroons to overcome Friday evening. The Lady Cardinals, who figure to be among the contenders in the 2nd Region, plated 5 runs in the top of the first and then held on to take a 7-4 win over the Lady Maroons on a chilly, windy second day of spring.
The loss caps off a tough opening week of the season that saw the Lady Maroons take on two 2nd Region semifinalists from last season and the defending 1st Region champions.
Livingston Central jumped out early to get control of the game. Victoria Joiner led off with a single in the bottom of the first. Addison Tramble walked and then Hadley Hargrove loaded the bases with a single. An outfield error by the Lady Maroons allowed two runs to score. Irelynn Burns followed that with a 3-run blast to left field that made it 5-0 before there was an out in the game.
The Lady Maroons got on the board in their half of the first. A walk, a hit batter, and a single loaded the bases with nobody out. After a popup, Sophie Frailley hit a sac fly to left that scored two runs and cut the lead to 5-2 after one.
Livingston Central got a leadoff home run from Victoria Joiner in the top of the second that made it a 6-2 game.
Madisonville made things interesting in the bottom half of the inning when Katelynn Rodgers singled with one out. Sophie Kirk then hit a two-out home run to centerfield that brought the Lady Maroons to within 6-4.
Neveah Jennings hit an RBI double in the top of the third for Livingston Central that pushed the lead back out to 7-4. From that point, both starting pitchers settled in and neither team scored the rest of the way.
Livingston pitcher Addison Tramble got out of tough jams in the bottom of the third and again in the bottom of the sixth as the Lady Cardinals improved to 2-0 ahead of a Saturday game with defending region champion Henderson County.
The Lady Maroons, who scored their four runs on six hits, were led by 8th grader Sadie Kirk, who was 1-3 with the home run, two RBIs, and two runs scored. Sydney Skeen, Maggie Killough, Sophie Frailley, Bryanna Harris, and Katelynn Rodgers added one hit each for Madisonville-North Hopkins.
Mackenzie Stoltz was tagged with the loss for the Lady Maroons. She went the distance in the circle, giving up 7 runs on 7 hits, none of the hits coming after the third inning. She struck out nine and walked three.
Addison Tramble got the win for the Lady Cardinals, going 7 innings, giving up four runs on six hits, striking out 7 and walking one.
