The Madisonville-North Hopkins Lady Maroons stormed into Butler County Thursday night and overpowered the homestanding Lady Bears. Despite an early jab from Butler County, the Lady Maroons’ offense exploded in a pivotal third inning, leading to an 11-1 victory via the mercy rule after five innings.
The Lady Bears drew first blood in the bottom of the first, capitalizing on a bases-loaded walk issued by Maroons ptcher Sadie Kirk to push Taylor Smith across the plate for a 1-0 edge.
The top of the third inning witnessed an offensive eruption for the Lady Maroons. Ten runs crossed the plate on a barrage of ten hits, flipping the script entirely and allowing the Lady Maroons to seize an 11-1 advantage. The fireworks were ignited by a towering two-run blast off the bat of Sadie Kirk, followed shortly after by a solo shot from Mackenzie Stolz. The rest of the lineup joined the hit parade, collectively driving in eight additional runs and leaving the Bears reeling.
With a commanding ten-run cushion, Kirk took complete control in the circle. After the early hiccup, the junior right-hander was virtually untouchable, carving up the Butler County lineup. She finished the contest with a dominant 11 strikeouts, allowing just one run on two scattered hits.
In contrast, Miley Franzell battled in the circle for the Lady Bears, ultimately surrendering 4 earned runs and 7 unearned runs while tallying two strikeouts against the relentless Lady Maroons’ attack.
This emphatic road victory marks the third consecutive win for the Madisonville-North Hopkins squad, boosting their season record to a solid 8-6. The Maroons will look to carry this momentum back home as they prepare to clash with Muhlenberg County on Friday.
