SOFTBALL: Du Quoin wins Mississippi Division outright
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[The Softball Indians won the conference championship outright on Friday evening by defeating the Anna-Jonesboro Wildcats 3-1 in a home game. The Indians finished the conference season at 9-1 to take the prize! The Indians are 27-2 overall.
The game was delayed at least thirty minutes as lightning, thunder, and rain threatened to cancel the game. Eventually, the weather settled down, and play could begin.
Coach Jason James pitched both Cassidy Rice and Alexis Kohrs in the game. Rice started the game and went four innings allowing 1 run (unearned), two hits, had no walks and 8 strikeouts. Rice got no decision in the game, and is 12-1 overall. The score was tied when Rice left the pitching position to take up residence in center field.
Alexis Kohrs left third base in the fifth inning, and pitched three innings. She allowed no runs, no hits, had no walks, and six strikeouts. Kohrs got the win; the go ahead run was scored in the fifth inning. Kohrs' record is 15-1. Both pitchers threw superior innings for the Indians, and combined for 14 strikeouts on the afternoon.
The losing pitcher for Anna-Jonesboro was Amanda Conway. She pitched all seven innings, allowing 3 runs (two unearned), 7 hits, had one walk, and two strikeouts.
Anna-Jonesboro scored one unearned run on two hits. Fallon Clayton was 1-3 with a double, and scored A-J's only run in the first inning. The double was followed by a pass ball and a wild pitch. Katelyn Brush was 1-3 with a double in the fourth inning.
There was a very unusual play in the bottom half of the fourth inning that led to the Anna-Jonesboro head coach announced that he was playing the game under protest.
The incident started in bottom half of the fourth inning. Alexis Kohrs walked. Hadley Marek was given the bunt sign by Coach Jason James in an effort to move Kohrs into scoring position. Marek attempted to bunt twice. On the second strike, she thought she had bunted because the ball landed a foot in front of home plate, and she took off for first base.
The Wildcats' catcher threw to first just as the home plate umpire was asking for help from his partner in the field on whether or not Marek offered at the ball, which would imply a ruling that no contact was made. The second umpire confirmed a swing about the same time as the catcher's throw sailed over the first baseman's head and allowed Kohrs to come all the way around and score with Marek winding up at second.
Since it was just strike two, Marek was not called out for attempting to take first base with it occupied on a dropped third strike. The end result was a throwing error on the catcher, a run for Du Quoin, and Marek returning to the plate with an 0-2 count in a tie game.
DuQuoin scored two runs in the fifth inning. Jessica Hirsch hit a triple to lead off, and scored on a wild pitch. DuQuoin was leading 2-1. Kelsey Robinson hit a single; Cassidy Rice got on with an error by third base, and Hadley Marek hit a single to score Robinson.
DuQuoin had seven hits in the game. Jessica Hirsch was 2-4 with a triple. Aubrey Davis was 2-3. Kelsey Robinson was 1-3. Hadley Marek was 2-3 and an RBI. Magen Edwards was 1-3 with a double. Other Indians seeing playing time were Cassidy Rice, Alexis Kohrs, Amanda Williams, Katrina Whitley, Cassidy Hill, and Kate Toler. Other team members are Hailey Stewart, Abby Myers, Bailie Caldwell, Emily Asbury, Chelsea Huff, Marisa Ferguson, Amber Williams, and Amanda Atteberry.
Coach Jason James was "very proud of the girls. They have worked very hard to win this. Rice and Kohrs pitched very well today. I told them before the game that they were sharing pitching duties in this game. I am proud of the way we swung the bats today. This is a great accomplishment!"
Coach James is assisted by Jacob Emling and Lonnie James.
Monday's game with Zeigler-Royalton-Christopher will be JV only. DuQuoin is off for several days next week before they travel to Marissa on Friday and Saturday for a tournament.
Congratulations to the Softball Indians on winning the conference championship!
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