The Road to East Peoria: Lady Indians strike early, romp W/S-V
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[A quick start led Du Quoin High School's girls softball team to its first victory along the road to East Peoria Monday afternoon.
The Lady Indians, 19-12, ripped Waltonville/Sesser-Valier 9 1 in the Benton Class 2A Regional "play-in" game at Lefty Pyle Field.
Du Quoin advances to play host and top-seeded Benton Wednesday at 4:30. The win was the third of the season over W/S-V, who also feel in an early season doubleheader at Du Quoin.
"Again we played very well," said Lady Indians coach Jason James. "We hit the ball very well, had good pitching from Chelsea Hill and played error-free defense."
Hilll (11-6) notched her 43rd career victory with a five-hitter, striking out four. Four of the W/S-V hits, all singles, came in succession during the fourth inning.
Du Quoin jumped to a quick 3-0 lead in the first as Kelsey Toler tripled on the first pitch. She then scored on Jessica Hirsch's RBI single.
Hirsch raced home one out later when Cassidy Rice doubled.
Freshman Hadley Marek-who was perfect in three plate appearances-made the score 3-0 with an RBI single.
Toler's RBI double and a sacrifice fly from Hirsch pushed the margin to 5-0 in the second
A Waltonville/S-V miscue pushed the lead to 6-1 in the fifth before Du Quoin closed things out with a three-run sixth.
Heather Cavins' single and a two-run double from Rice were the key blows as the Lady Indians connected for 15 hits.
Toler, Rice, Ashley Hess and Kelsey Robinson all had two safeties.
Rice knocked in three runs.
"We need to keep this kind of intensity going through out the regional," said James. "I am very proud of these girls."
Du Quoin 9 W/S-V 1
W/S-V 000 100 0-1 5 2
DHS 320 013 x-9 15 0
WP-Hill, 11-6/