ELVERADO SOFTBALL: Lady Falcons Challenge Defending State Champs
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[ No longer a doormat, the Elverado softball team has been opening eyes across the region this season. Carterville knew good and well about the Lady Falcons' improvement and resurgence prior to Thursday's contest.
Elverado proved its legitimacy quickly as leadoff hitter Jenna Cochran singled, moved to second base on a sacrifice and scored on a booming double by Kelsey Tuthill for an early 1-0 lead against the defending Class 2A state champions.
But the Lady Lions recovered.
Sophomore hurler Sarah DaRosa retired the next 18 straight batters and gave up just one more baserunner - Courtney Morse singled in the seventh inning - and Carterville scratched out runs in the third and fourth innings to post a 2-1 win in Black Diamond Conference action.
The Lady Lions are now 12-3 and 2-0 in conference play after blanking Carmi-White County the day before. Elverado, playing its first Diamond contest, slipped to 6-4 overall.
"I knew this was a good team and would be a tough game," said Carterville coach Brett Diel. "They're a team very capable of knocking people off. They're a sound team that can swing the bats, they have good pitching and they play good defense. That's a good ballclub."
Meredith Brown led off the third with a triple and scored on Chelsea Presley's sacrifice fly to center field to tie the game. The next inning, Miriah Chapman reached on an error and later scored the go-ahead run on Lauren Sherry's single.
Cochran, also the Lady Falcons' hurler, escaped jams in the first and fifth innings and struck out seven - including the side in the sixth - but took the loss as those two runs held up.
The Lady Lions did not commit an error and turned in a pair of web gems late in the game, first in the sixth inning when left fielder Mollie Thomas made a backhanded stab while sprinting toward foul territory.
And in the seventh, catcher Brittni Boggess leapt from behind home plate to scoop up Tuthill's slow roller and nailed the speedster at first base with a hard throw. The play's importance was magnified when the next batter, Morse, laced a single.
DaRosa, who finished with seven strikeouts and no walks in an efficient complete game performance, induced a groundout by Katie Watts and then struck out Mal Winthrop to end the contest.
"We played another great game," Elverado coach Donette Wheatley said. "You can't make errors against good teams and expect to win. But playing teams like this is the only way we are going to get better."
Elverado (6-4, 0-1) also had hits from Cochran and Courtney Morse. The Lady Falcons host the Elverado Invitational Saturday with th action starting at 10 a.m.
Carterville 2, EHS 1
Elverado 100 000 0 - 1 3 3
C'ville 001 100 x -2 5 0
J.Cochran and Watts. DaRosa and Boggess. WP - DaRosa, 4-0. LP - J.Cochran, 3-4. . Top Hitters - Elverado: J.Cochran 1-3, Tuthill 1-3 (2B, BI), Morse 1-3. Carterville: Brown 1-3 (3B), Presley 1-3 (BI), Ashton 1-3, Thomas 1-3, Sherry 1-3 (BI). Records - Elverado is 6-4, 0-1. Carterville is 12-3, 2-0.
12th Annual Elverado Invitational Tournament
Saturday, April 18
All games at Elkville Village Park
POOL A-Century, Elverado, Benton
POOL B-Anna-Jonesboro, Shawnee, Hamilton County
Century vs. Elverado, 10 a.m.
Anna-Jonesboro vs. Hamilton County, 10 a.m.
Century vs. Benton, 11:30
A-J vs. Shawnee, 11:30
Elverado vs. Benton, 1:00
Hamilton County vs. Shawnee, 1:00
Championship
Pool winners, 3:00