Lady Cats take down Carbondale, Mt. Vernon

CARBONDALE - Morgan Andrews blasted a homer and went 4-for-4 with four RBIs to lead the Marion High School softball team to an 11-0, five-inning win over Carbondale in a South Seven Conference game Tuesday at the Superblock.

Marion improved to 16-2 overall and 6-0 in the conference, while Carbondale dropped to 13-7 and 3-5.

The rivals' previous meeting went extra innings and was won by Marion, 6-5.

This one wasn't close from the start.

Karris Rhine ripped a two-run double in the first inning after Hannah Nalley singled and Andrews bunted. Then in the second, Keira Hance doubled to drive in Heaven Lawrence and Andrews singled to bring in Hance for a quick 5-0 lead.

Carbondale looked like it might get back in the game in the third when it loaded the bases following singles by Savannah Talley and Katie Crombar, but Marion hurler Ivy Smart escaped with a grounder to preserve the shutout.

Marion increased its lead to 9-0 in the fourth with Hance's second double of the game, a run-scoring hit by Nalley and Andrews' two-run homer. Nalley added a sac fly and Andrews collected her fourth hit in the fifth to make it 11-0.

Smart finished with three strikeouts and no walks in the four-hit victory.

Marion also traveled to Mt. Vernon on Wednesday and won 9-4 to become 17-2 and 7-0 in the South Seven. It came a day after Mt. Vernon defeated Centralia, whose only previous loss was to Marion.

Smart went 4-for-4 with a triple and three RBIs at the plate for the Lady Wildcats, who scored two runs in the first inning and led 6-0 after five frames

Marion was slated to host Belleville Althoff in a doubleheader on Thursday and has changed its schedule to face Centralia on the road Friday instead of Carterville.