Lady Titans Finish 1-1 In Triangle
The Harrodsburg Herald/Samuel Warren
Mercer senior K.J. Sutton bunted and scored Mia Floro during the Lady Titans’ 9-8 loss to Oldham County on Saturday, April 12. Sutton ended the game with one hit, one run scored and one RBI.
Samuel Warren
Herald Staff
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Mercer County softball (7-5) had an eventful weekend, playing host to an all-day tournament that included Bethlehem Banshees (9-6) and one of the top-ranked programs in the state, Oldham County (13-1), who have yet to lose to a team from Kentucky. The Lady Colonels finished the regular season as the top-ranked team in Region 8 a year ago, before narrowly losing to Woodford County in the regional semi finals. This year the Lady Colonels lineup includes one of the best players in the state in senior Jozie Lashley. Lashley has 35 RBI’s and 11 home runs in just 42 at bats this spring. Her dominance doesn’t stop at the plate either, the Western Kentucky commitment is also one of the best pitchers in the state, allowing just 8 hits and 2 earned runs in over 30 innings pitched.
The Titans got on top first after consecutive hits from freshman Ava Musick and junior Emory Thompson scored one run in the top of the first inning, but Oldham’s Lashley responded immediately, blasting a solo home run over the center field wall. An error allowed Mia Floro to reach first base in the top of the second inning, and Natalie Johnson responded with a single of her own. Sophomore Jaley Bowman stepped up and delivered a big time play, doubling into center field to move her season RBI total to 19, and moving Mercer into a 3-1 lead.
Things began to fall apart defensively for the Titans in the bottom of the second inning. Back-to-back errors and a failure to get an out in a fielder’s choice situation set the Lady Colonels up for a big play. Eventually, a double from Lori Edgar scored two runners, and put Oldham on top, 4-3. An error from pitcher Ella Davis and an intentional walk put two more runners on base, and Aubrey Batts added two more runs after sending a triple down the first baseline. Davis pitched one of her two strikeouts to end the inning, but Oldham had worked their way to a 8-3 lead after two innings.
Another error and a wild pitch allowed Musick to reach first and work the bases, but it was the Lady Titans only run until the top of the sixth inning. Lashley ended the top of the fifth with three straight strikeouts, silencing the Titans, but she hit Mia Floro on the second pitch of the sixth inning, and an error at first base kept Reese Ransdell safe on the next at bat. K.J. Sutton perfectly placed a bunt and Floro scored a run.
