Du Quoin softball splits with Trico, Elverado
DU QUOIN - Going over a full week without a game made it tough on the Du Quoin High School softball team. But that provided motivation to get the home field ready for Saturday's games against Trico and Elverado.
That meant some team bonding time Friday night.
"The kids are used to it because we end up doing it every year," said Du Quoin coach Jason James. "We pulled the tarp and the bad thing, there was water underneath it. But the kids did a good job of using sponges and getting the water off the outfield so we could drag it. The kids did a good job of helping us out so we could play."
The Lady Indians took on undefeated Trico in the first game and lost, 5-1, then had to wait as Trico outslugged Elverado, 22-12, and keep fingers crossed as rain approached before playing Elverado.
The rain veered around and stayed away long enough for Du Quoin to beat the Lady Falcons, 5-2.
"We were finally able to get on the field and remember what that felt like," James said.
Both games featured standout hurlers in the circle. Du Quoin with Chloe Hill, Trico with Jade Kranawetter and Elverado with Allie Whittington.
The long layoff didn't help in that regard.
"It was nice to see those pitchers. They both throw so hard," James said. "What a way to come back, right? We've been inside in the cages and now we see girls throwing 60 miles per hour.
"But we took good at-bats, especially in the second game. I think we were psyched out in the first game against Trico. But we did a nice job and Chloe hit her spots."
In the second game, Hill helped herself with a two-run single in the first inning after Katie Smith and Grace Haney both drew walks from Whittington, then Hill came through again in the third with an RBI triple that plated Haney, who singled. Smith later added a run-scoring hit in the sixth to finish 2-for-3.
The lone run against Trico came when Smith led off the first inning with a solo homer. Kranawetter recorded 10 strikeouts and gave up just three total hits, with Olivia Whitley and Chloe Hess collecting the others.
"In the first game, we got ourselves into situations with runners on base but there was always two outs and we couldn't get that big hit," James said. "Then against Elverado, we got a few up the middle and some bloopers to bring in some runs. We were able to get the key hits in that game."
Hill had two strikeouts against Trico and six against Elverado.
Du Quoin was scheduled to play at Carterville on Monday to open the SIRR Mississippi Division portion of the schedule. The Lady Indians are also slated to host Pinckneyville on Tuesday then travel to Johnston City on Wednesday and Sparta on Thursday.