Girls Prep Softball: Home Run Happy Lady Tribe sweeps to four wins
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Smashing 11 home runs and ripping 55 hits-21 for extra bases-Du Quoin High School's softball team slugged its way to four weekend victories and now sports a 6-1 record entering Monday's trip to Benton.
The Lady Tribe swept Waltonville/Sesser-Valier Friday night by 10-0 and 11-0 counts before dispatching a solid Elverado team Saturday.
Scores were 7-4 and 15-5.
"We have a lot of girls really seeing the ball well and they have really bought in to what we are trying to get done at the plate," Lady Indians coach Jason James said. "I am really very proud of the girls and how they are willing to share time. If they can keep this up and not pout, this could be a very fun year."
In seven games this season, Du Quoin has 15 home runs by six different batters.
Freshman Cassidy Rice was the big story in the first game against Waltonville/S-V, knocking out three home runs with seven RBI.
She also struck out six in tossing a three-hitter.
Senior Chelsea Hill gave two hits in the opener, fanning four with Ashley Hess going 3-for-3.
Hill (4-0) struck out seven more against Elverado as Hess and freshman Kelsey Robinson hit key home runs. Hess had five RBI.
Rice (2-1) scattered four hits in the second game and had seven RBI at the plate.
Jessica Hirsch, Hess, Rice and Magen Edwards all had two-hit days with Robinson going 3-for-3. Edwards, Hess, Robinson and Hirsch all went deep.
Rice had five home runs and is already just one shot shy of tying Kasi Camden's single season record set two yeard ago.
"Du Quoin can just flat out hit the ball," Elverado coach Donette Wheatley said. "Corinne Wilson pitched really good the first game but they still had 13 hits."
Wilson and Kelsi Teague suffered pitching losses for the Lady Falcons (1-3).
Sami Hicks had a home run and two RBI in game one. Kelsey Tuthill had four hits during the day with Chelsea Cochran smacking a two-run game two double.
Elverado hosts Gorevile at 4:30 Monday.