Girls make quick work of Mt. Zion, advance
to Sectionals
By Joe Pritchett
Clarion Editor
It didn't take long to figure out who was going to win Saturday's Class 3A Taylorville Softball
Regional title game between Glenwood and Mt. Zion.
Nine of the first 10 GHS batters reached base, with MZ starter Rachel Huggins being pulled, and
by the end of the inning leadoff batter Mariah Cole had batted three times and Glenwood held a 13-0
advantage. The Titans went on to post a 23-2 victory in five innings.
The win puts Glenwood (26-6) into the Class 3A Mt. Zion Sectional, where they were to face
Danville (17-12) Wednesday. SHG (27-6) faces Decatur MacArthur (19-14) in the other semi. The
sectional title game is set for Saturday at 11 a.m. Glenwood hosts the Class 3A Super-Sectional
Monday at 4:30 p.m.
After taking the huge lead, things got sloppy at times, and there were some confusing calls and
collisions to spice up the atmosphere a bit. Glenwood head coach Vondel Edgar, a Mt. Zion
graduate, got worked up on a couple of occasions on a few calls.
"It was a very impressive first inning," Edgar stated. "After you score 13, I think there's a natural
letdown. There were some simple things we weren't executing as well as we like to. But we'll work
on those things and try to get better."
The Titans had 17 hits and eight walks in four innings, and MZ added three errors. The Braves
had seven hits off Glenwood starter Sarah Garrison (17-4), who allowed two earned runs while
striking out two and walking one. Abby Causey came on in relief for Huggins, who allowed 12 earned
runs on six hits and two walks. Causey walked six and allowed 11 hits and 10 earned runs.
The Titans tacked on three runs each in the second and third innings, along with a four-spot in the
fourth. Beka Ferguson had four hits, four RBI and five runs scored, while catcher Liz Rupel had two
hits and four RBI. Sami Estill had three hits, three runs scored and two RBI, while Kasey Oliver had
two hits, two RBI and four runs scored. Cole had two hits and three runs scored, while Jess Meyer
had two hits and two runs scored. Cassandra Harvill added two hits and two runs scored for
Glenwood.
•In the first, Cole led off with a triple to the wall in left-center, and Estill brought her home with a
sacrifice fly to left. Ferguson reached on a bunt single before Oliver delivered a double to the wall in
left-center for an RBI and a 2-0 lead. Meyer reached on an error before Rupel's bloop single to center
scored the third run.
First baseman Erin Fleischacker walked, with Harvill delivering an RBI bunt single with the bases
loaded to make it 4-0. Brittany Hembrough walked to make it 5-0, and Cole singled off the pitcher's
glove for an RBI and 6-0 lead with the bases still loaded.
At that point, the pitching change was made, with a wild pitch and walk scoring two more runs.
Oliver followed with a line drive that got past the shortstop but hit Estill in the leg as she was heading
to third base. Mass confusion ensued, and eventually Estill was ruled out and all runners returned to
their bases, with Oliver on first.
Edgar, a big-time softball player in his day, knew the rule and argued vehemently.
"If the ball gets past the infielder, it's a live ball if it hits the runner," he explained. "I thought Sami
was behind the infielder, and I'm sure she was. It didn't have a big impact on the game, and I think
we got it straightened out later with the umpires."
A walk to Meyer made it 9-0, and Rupel followed with a three-run single to center to make it 12-0.
A bloop RBI single by Harvill concluded the first inning scoring.
MZ touched Garrison for two runs in the second, but the Titans added three more runs in the
inning. Oliver's fielder's choice grounder scored Estill, who bowled over catcher Maddie Wiley on the
play.
In the third, Ferguson had an RBI single to RF, and Oliver had an RBI double to left-center. Meyer
added an RBI infield single to make it 19-2.
In the top of the fourth, the Titans turned a nifty double play on the infield, as the Braves
inadvertently tried to advance after a wild throw to first base. Runners were thrown out at third and
second on the play.
In the bottom of the fourth, Estill added an RBI single, and Ferguson had a two-run single to right.
Glenwood's final run scored on an error.
•Edgar has settled on Fleischacker at first base while the catching duties continue to be split
between Rupel and Laney Thacker.
"There's a lot of variables that go into that," he explained. "It has to do with the other team and
things they do or don't do."
to Sectionals
By Joe Pritchett
Clarion Editor
It didn't take long to figure out who was going to win Saturday's Class 3A Taylorville Softball
Regional title game between Glenwood and Mt. Zion.
Nine of the first 10 GHS batters reached base, with MZ starter Rachel Huggins being pulled, and
by the end of the inning leadoff batter Mariah Cole had batted three times and Glenwood held a 13-0
advantage. The Titans went on to post a 23-2 victory in five innings.
The win puts Glenwood (26-6) into the Class 3A Mt. Zion Sectional, where they were to face
Danville (17-12) Wednesday. SHG (27-6) faces Decatur MacArthur (19-14) in the other semi. The
sectional title game is set for Saturday at 11 a.m. Glenwood hosts the Class 3A Super-Sectional
Monday at 4:30 p.m.
After taking the huge lead, things got sloppy at times, and there were some confusing calls and
collisions to spice up the atmosphere a bit. Glenwood head coach Vondel Edgar, a Mt. Zion
graduate, got worked up on a couple of occasions on a few calls.
"It was a very impressive first inning," Edgar stated. "After you score 13, I think there's a natural
letdown. There were some simple things we weren't executing as well as we like to. But we'll work
on those things and try to get better."
The Titans had 17 hits and eight walks in four innings, and MZ added three errors. The Braves
had seven hits off Glenwood starter Sarah Garrison (17-4), who allowed two earned runs while
striking out two and walking one. Abby Causey came on in relief for Huggins, who allowed 12 earned
runs on six hits and two walks. Causey walked six and allowed 11 hits and 10 earned runs.
The Titans tacked on three runs each in the second and third innings, along with a four-spot in the
fourth. Beka Ferguson had four hits, four RBI and five runs scored, while catcher Liz Rupel had two
hits and four RBI. Sami Estill had three hits, three runs scored and two RBI, while Kasey Oliver had
two hits, two RBI and four runs scored. Cole had two hits and three runs scored, while Jess Meyer
had two hits and two runs scored. Cassandra Harvill added two hits and two runs scored for
Glenwood.
•In the first, Cole led off with a triple to the wall in left-center, and Estill brought her home with a
sacrifice fly to left. Ferguson reached on a bunt single before Oliver delivered a double to the wall in
left-center for an RBI and a 2-0 lead. Meyer reached on an error before Rupel's bloop single to center
scored the third run.
First baseman Erin Fleischacker walked, with Harvill delivering an RBI bunt single with the bases
loaded to make it 4-0. Brittany Hembrough walked to make it 5-0, and Cole singled off the pitcher's
glove for an RBI and 6-0 lead with the bases still loaded.
At that point, the pitching change was made, with a wild pitch and walk scoring two more runs.
Oliver followed with a line drive that got past the shortstop but hit Estill in the leg as she was heading
to third base. Mass confusion ensued, and eventually Estill was ruled out and all runners returned to
their bases, with Oliver on first.
Edgar, a big-time softball player in his day, knew the rule and argued vehemently.
"If the ball gets past the infielder, it's a live ball if it hits the runner," he explained. "I thought Sami
was behind the infielder, and I'm sure she was. It didn't have a big impact on the game, and I think
we got it straightened out later with the umpires."
A walk to Meyer made it 9-0, and Rupel followed with a three-run single to center to make it 12-0.
A bloop RBI single by Harvill concluded the first inning scoring.
MZ touched Garrison for two runs in the second, but the Titans added three more runs in the
inning. Oliver's fielder's choice grounder scored Estill, who bowled over catcher Maddie Wiley on the
play.
In the third, Ferguson had an RBI single to RF, and Oliver had an RBI double to left-center. Meyer
added an RBI infield single to make it 19-2.
In the top of the fourth, the Titans turned a nifty double play on the infield, as the Braves
inadvertently tried to advance after a wild throw to first base. Runners were thrown out at third and
second on the play.
In the bottom of the fourth, Estill added an RBI single, and Ferguson had a two-run single to right.
Glenwood's final run scored on an error.
•Edgar has settled on Fleischacker at first base while the catching duties continue to be split
between Rupel and Laney Thacker.
"There's a lot of variables that go into that," he explained. "It has to do with the other team and
things they do or don't do."
Chatham Clarion
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Issue Date: June 3, 2010
