SOFTBALL: Lady Falcons double up Eldorado
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[The Lady Falcons jumped ahead in the first inning and pulled in front for good in the sixth as they took care of Eldorado 4-2 on Thursday afternoon in Elkville.
Corrine Wilson went the distance for her third win of the year, ending the game by getting a ground ball double play that shortstop Sami Hicks and second baseman Abby Grammer turned with plenty of time to spare.
"I've never had a team turn so many double plays in one season," said EHS head softball coach Donette Wheatley. The Lady Falcons also turned two in the top of the fifth inning.
"We've completely flip-flopped," Wheatley continued. "At first we were having trouble with our defense but we were hitting the snot out of the ball, and now we're not hitting and our defense has tightened up and playing really well."
The bats do seem to be heating up just a bit, however. After putting together just five total hits in their two previous games, the Lady Falcons nearly doubled that amount on Thursday with nine.
After Meghann Trammel walked and Hicks reached on an error, Chelsea Cochran singled for an RBI and Elverado led 2-1 after one.
After tying things at 2-2, the Lady Eagles cheated themselves out of an out in the top of the fourth when both teams headed for their respective dugouts after the second out. Neither side questioned what had happened until it was too late, as Eldorado's coaching staff had allowed the first pitch of the bottom of the fourth to be thrown before recognizing the mistake. Wilson wouldn't allow another batter to reach second base the rest of the game.
With the game still tied in the bottom of the sixth, Alicen Khoo-Torres and Hicks both singled and came around to score on passed balls, giving Elverado their sixth win of 2011.
Cochran (2-4, RBI) was the top hitter for the Lady Falcons and had the only RBI. Hicks (1-2, 2 R, 2 BB), Torres (1-2, R, BB), Grammer (1-3), Wilson (1-3, BB), Kelsi Teague (1-4), Erika Will (1-3) and Lacey Qualls (1-3) also reached base with hits.
Wilson allowed only four hits, two walks and one earned run in her seven innings in the pitching circle, striking out three.
Elverado (6-12) is at home again on Monday when they host Carmi White County at 4:30 p.m.