SOFTBALL: Lady Indians slam Salem, but crushed by New Athens

Du Quoin split a pair of Saturday home softball games over the weekend, beating up on Salem 7-2 and getting clobbered by New Athens 13-3 in six innings.

The Lady Indians had fourteen hits against the Wildcats and Mackenzie Jackson allowed just one earned run on five hits and two walks with four strikeouts to pick up the victory in the pitching circle. Each of the first eight hitters in the Du Quoin lineup had at least one hit.

Amanda Atteberry and Amber Williams had RBI singles in the bottom of the second inning to put DHS up 2-1, then the duo repeated the feat in the third when Atteberry singled to drive in Sydney Lewis and Williams brought in Afton Robinson and Atteberry with a base hit moments later to make it 6-2. Lewis added an RBI single in the bottom of the sixth, driving in Alaina Caldwell, who doubled with one out for her third hit of the day.

Caldwell (3-4, R, 2B), Jackson (1-4), Lewis (1-4, R, RBI) Robinson (2-3, 2 R), Atteberry (2-3, R, 2 RBI), Williams (2-3, R, 3 RBI), Jordyn Bullar (2-4, R) and Sadie Day (1-3) all had hits for Du Quoin against Salem.

The tables were turned in the afternoon game with New Athens. The Lady Jackets smacked a dozen hits and poured it on with a five-run third inning on their way to a short-game win.

"Well we started hitting the ball a little bit better today," said DHS head coach Jason James, "but struggled in the field. I believe we had anywhere between eight to ten errors on the day, and that will not result in too many wins. I am proud of the girls and how they continued to compete all day, we will get there, just have to keep working."

A scary moment in the top of the fourth occurred when Jackson took a line drive to the face mask, which may have saved her a trip to the hospital.

"Thank goodness she had on a face mask and was able to walk away from it with just a headache," said James.

Caldwell (2-3), Robinson (2-3, R) and Atteberry (2-3, R, RBI, 2B) each had two hits for the Lady Indians in the loss to New Athens.

Bullar pitched in relief of Jackson, going three innings and giving up two earned runs on four hits with one strikeout and no walks.