After seeing their run of 11 straight 7th District softball championships snapped last season by the Caldwell County Lady Tigers, the Madisonville-North Hopkins Lady Maroons returned to the district throne in impressive fashion Monday evening.
Madisonville left the yard four times, including the shot that ended the game, and got a lockdown performance from Sadie Kirk in the circle as the Lady Maroons rolled past Caldwell County 12-0 in five innings to claim the 7th District championship.
The top half of the Lady Maroon batting order was devastating, combining for nine of Madisonville’s eleven hits. Meanwhile, Sadie Kirk allowed the Lady Tigers just one hit over five innings.
The Lady Maroons settled this one early, scoring three runs in the bottom of the first inning to go up 3-0. The big blow was a two-run homer from Maggie Killough.
In the third, it was Sadie Kirk’s turn. Kirk helped her own cause in the circle by lining a two-run shot over the left field fence to extend the lead to 5-0. Sydney Skeen then drove in a run with a single in the bottom of the fourth to make it 6-0.
The Lady Maroons then finished it off with six runs in the bottom of the fifth. Maggie Killough hit her second two-run homer of the game and then Sydney Skeen sent everyone home with a walk-off three-run homer.
Skeen finished the game 4-4 with a home run, four RBIs, and three runs scored. Maggie Killough was 2-3 with two home runs, four RBIs, and two runs scored. Sadie Kirk ended the night 3-3 with a home run, two doubles, three RBIs, and three runs scored.
Addison McDaniel had the only hit of the night for the Lady Tigers.
In the circle, Sadie Kirk went five innings, giving up no runs on one hit, striking out eight, and walking one.
Both teams will now advance to next week’s 2nd Region tournament, which will be played at Lee S. Jones Park in Eddyville.
