Lady Indians cruise to 7-2 win over ZRC on senior night
While the Lady Indians were able to cruise to a 7-2 win over Zeigler–Christopher-Royalton on senior night Monday evening, the real challenge came before. <br />With more than six inches of rain taking its toll on the Du Quoin softball field over the weekend, it took a committed effort from head coach Jason James (along with some other help) to get the field able to go for the senior night game. <br />"We had a lake out in center so we had to put the pump down and get the pump draining," James said. "It was the same situation in right field. I was here yesterday from 11:30 (a.m to work on the field), left here at dark (around) probably 9:00.<br />"Then i got up this morning, was out here by 8:00 and was here till game time (working on the field). <br />"Coach Caldwell was out here a little bit, all the kids pulled the tarp (and) I had Katie Smith, Ashlyn Jackson and Morgan Bullar (who) stayed all day yesterday and helped. That was pretty much our crew."<br />The Lady Indians rewarded the effort with a 7-2 victory behind a strong pitching performance from Jackson. The senior pitcher surrendered just two runs (one earned) on five hits and three walks while fanning eight. <br />"I think the the jitters, just the senior day festivities and stuff like that (was something she had to work through)," James said. "We talked about it in the third inning, just to slow herself down, get back in her rhythm and do that kind of stuff."<br />Offensively, Du Quoin got things going early. Katie Smith led off the bottom of the first with a walk, one of three she drew on the day, and came around to score on a deep two-out double from Morgan Bullar who finished the day with a pair of hits and RBI's.<br />Smith got things started again in the third with another leadoff walk and Jackson followed up with one of her own. <br />Grace Haney and Bullar followed up with RBI singles, while Chloe Hill made it three singles in a row to keep the bases loaded with no outs. <br />Meryn Gross knocked in a run with a one-out single up the middle. Mayci McKinnies and Smith capped off the inning with two-out bases loaded walks to give the Lady Indians a comfortable 7-0 lead. <br />"That's what we are hoping for (is that Bullar is heating up at the plate)," James said of his sophomore's two RBI day. "If we can get her and Smith rolling i think we can be alright, Smith got a a little bloop single so maybe that will help get her in the right (track) as well. <br />"We have to get Bullar and those kids swinging the bats to be successful."<br />Du Quoin tacked on another insurance run in the fifth inning, with Gross (who led the inning off with a single) coming around to score on an RBI single from McKinnies. <br />The Lady Tornadoes were able to finally get on the board in the sixth inning, with a pair of throwing errors to first base plating an unearned run. <br />They cut the lead to 7-2 with a one-out RBI single in the seventh, but Jackson was able to settle down from there and close out the win. <br />Du Quoin's three senior players, Jackson, Sadie day and Kat Robinson, were recognized after the game. <br />While the Lady Indians are largely a team of underclassmen, James knows it will be difficult to replace his three senior players. <br />"We are going to miss them tremendously," James said. "They (Robinson and Day) have been here all four years. Jackson moved in as a sophomore so we had her for three, but it feels like she's been here for four. <br />"It's just going to be big losing three kids like that, that gave us all they got. It's going to be hard to replace kids like that."<br />While it was senior night for the Lady Indians, they will play again at home Tuesday (today) against Crab Orchard at 4:30 p.m. and again on Wednesday at home in a makeup game against Herrin.