Girls Prep Softball: Lady Indians, M-C Open with Split

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[ Chelsea Hill tossed a one-hitter and struck out nine batters Saturday morning, leading Du Quoin High School's Girls Softball team to its first victory of 2009.

The Lady Indians blanked Marissa-Coulterville 1-0 at Lefty Pyle Field.

Caitlin Williams' RBI single in the fifth inning accounted for the lone tally.

A five-run fourth inning lifted the visitors to a 7-3 win in the nightcap.

Now 1-1, the Lady Indians face Woodlawn (3:30) and Mt. Vernon (5:30) Monday at Mt. Vernon.

"We came out and played a good first game," Du Quoin coach Jason James said. "Hill was very good on the mound. We came up with a big two-out RBI single and played very well defensively."

In the fifth, Kasi Camden stroked a leadoff double but was still at second base with two out.

Williams poked a single to send Camden home. Camden, Williams and Ashley Hess accounted for the only hits by Du Quoin.

In game two, Hess' solo over-the-fence home run pulled the Lady Indians within 2-1, but M-C put things away with its fourth inning uprising against Micah Ward (0-1).

Hill then blaned M-C over the final three innings.

Du Quoin's final two runs came on freshman Megi Jones' RBI single.

Jones had two hits with Kelsey Toler, Ward and Hill contributing safeties.

"I thought we lost a little focus in the third and fourth innings by committing four errors and giving up seven runs," James said.

"I thought Micah Ward and Chelsea Hill pitched well and we had some kids swing the bats. By the time we regained our focus in the fifth, it was too late."

Du Quoin 1, Marissa-Coulterville 0

M-C 000 000 0-0 1 2

DHS 000 010 x- 1 3 2

Hill and Cavins. WP-Hill, 1-0. DHS Hitters: Hess 1-2, Camden 1-2 (2B), Williams 1-2 (RBI).

Marissa-Coulterville 7, Du Quoin 3

M-C 002 500 0-7 9 1

DHS 001 200 0-3 6 4

M. Ward, Hill (5) and Wallace. LP-M. Ward. 0-1. DQ Hitters: Toler 1-3, Hess 1-2 (HR, RBI), M. Ward 1-1, Hill 1-2, Jones 2-3 (2 RBI).