Article and Photos by T Ray Henry
With a drop in temperatures of over 50 degrees from the previous day, the Marshall High School softball team traveled to Catlin, Illinois to take on the Salt Fork High School Storm in a non-conference softball game on Friday, March 27th. On Thursday the 26th, the Lions played Hutsonville-Palestine in temperatures hovering around 86 degrees in windy conditions. This game against Salt Fork was played in 42-degree temperatures with bright, sunny skies and gusty winds blowing in from left centerfield, which made it feel colder to the Lions whose dugout was on the first base side of the diamond at Don Lashmet Recreation Complex.
Marshall senior Avery Cornwell got the start in the circle against a good hitting Salt Fork squad coming into this game off consecutive shutouts in their last two outings. The Lions jumped out on top in the top of the first inning when McKenzie Davis singled before Avery Cornwell smashed a drive deep to right field through the wind that cleared the fence for a two-run home run, putting Marshall ahead 2-0 after a half-inning of play. In the bottom half of the inning, Salt Fork strung together three consecutive hits and got a couple more timely singles later in the stanza to take a 3-2 lead after one inning of play.
The Lions came up to bat in the top of the second trailing for the first time this season, so it came to be seen how they would respond to being behind on the scoreboard. That question was answered emphatically after Caitlyn Hilliard and Lilly Nickles set the table with back-to-back singles to lead off the inning. Lynn Welborn then stepped in and hit an RBI double to centerfield to score pinch runner Mollie Kent and move Nickles over to third base. Lauren English then bunted for a single to load the bases, still with nobody out in the inning. An infield fly on the next play resulted in the first out of the inning before Lilly Nickles raced home from third on the tag up to give the Lions a 4-3 lead.
After Avery Cornwell reached base when the Salt Fork defense froze with Welborn and English creating havoc along the base paths, Marshall had the bases loaded again with one out and Klaire York coming up to the plate. York smacked the first pitch she saw to deep center field for a double that scored Welborn and English with Marshall's 5th and 6th runs of the game.
Later in the same inning, Ella Mattas reached base as Avery Cornwell scored, then Kyla Gustafson brought York home to make the score 8-3 going to the bottom of the second inning. The Storm pushed across one run in the bottom half of the second to cut the Marshall lead to 8-4. A nice scoop and throw by Lauren English in centerfield to McKenzie Davis at home plate cut down a runner attempting to score for the second out of the inning, then Davis ended the threat when she caught a pop fly near home plate for Marshall to maintain its 8-4 lead.
In the top of the third, back-to-back singles by Lynn Welborn and Lauren English were followed by McKenzie Davis being hit by a pitch to load the bases up for cleanup hitter Avery Cornwell. Cornwell quickly singled to score Welborn, then Klaire York hit another double to center field to bring home English and Davis and give the Lions an 11-4 lead.
In the visitors' half of the fourth inning, Lauren English singled to right field, stole second base, then came home to score on a single to left field by McKenzie Davis. With the Salt Fork throw from the outfield going to home plate, Davis took the extra base to get into scoring position. Avery Cornwell came up to bat next and hit a screeching line drive to right field to score Davis with Marshall's 13th run.
After Salt Fork scored a single run in the bottom of the fourth to make the score 13-5, the Lions brought home two more in the top of the sixth to make the score 15-5. Lynn Welborn walked before Lauren English put down a perfect bunt and raced towards first base. The throw to first went straight out to right field as Welborn raced all the way around the bases to score and English wheeled all the way around into third. McKenzie Davis then brought English home to score to give Marshall a 10-run lead at 15-5.
In the bottom of the sixth, two strikeouts by Avery Cornwell and a groundout to Lynn Welborn at shortstop ended the game with Marshall winning by the score of 15-5.
Avery Cornwell pitched six innings in very tough conditions weather-wise, striking out six in the process. She helped her own cause by smashing a home run in the top of the first inning, and she finished the game going 3 for 5 with 4 runs batted in. Klaire York also had 3 hits and 4 runs batted in. Lauren English went 4 for 5 at the plate, scored 4 runs, and stole a base. Her defensive gem in centerfield was also integral to the win by throwing a runner out at the plate to end a scoring threat.
In all, Marshall knocked out a season-high 17 hits in the contest, with the first five batters in the order (Lynn Welborn, Lauren English, McKenzie Davis, Avery Cornwell, and Klaire York) each recording multiple hits.
After the game, Marshall head coach Ryan McGuire said, “We beat a very good Salt Fork team that has a bunch of good, solid hitters. Our team is becoming more comfortable at the plate and scoring runs. The timely hits which were missing in the first couple of games are a distant memory now, but we’ve got to keep the momentum and maintain our consistency at the plate. We will need to continue practicing our fundamentals, moving runners, and playing sound defense. Our outfield (Lilly Nickles, Lauren English, and Olivia Strohm) each made plays to help us. Lauren’s throw to home plate to get the runner was an excellent play. Olivia made a nice running catch in the wind, and Lilly made a great stop of a liner which took a bad hop, and she made a play like a goalie in hockey catching a puck headed for the net.
Avery grinded it out in the circle in very tough conditions with the cold and the wind, getting the win, and her bomb to right field cut through the wind and was a no-doubter in any field we play on. She and Klaire York combined for 8 runs batted in today, and Klaire knocked out two doubles with runners on base.
We’ve got two tough games coming up (this) week (Tuesday at Robinson, Thursday at Effingham), and those games will give us a snapshot of how we match up against top-tier competition. Both teams are strong contenders for a regional championship (both won championships last year), then we will have a little time off before going to Mattoon and the Braves Bash the following week. But I like where we are right now as a team.”
The Lions (5-0) were prepared to travel to Tuscola on Saturday, but as the team and coaches gathered at the English’s house for a wonderful breakfast and team bonding experience, the call came in to inform the squad that a round-robin event scheduled for that afternoon at Ervin Park in Tuscola was canceled due to unplayable field conditions, so games against Rantoul and Tuscola were called off. The Lions are now scheduled to play their next game tomorrow afternoon (March 31st) at Robinson City Park against the Robinson High School Lady Maroons. The non-conference game will begin at 4:30 PM.
Lauren English throws out a Salt Fork runner at the plate from centerfield to end a scoring threat
Avery Cornwell goes yard with a two-run homer against Salt Fork in Marshall's 15-5 win
McKenzie Davis catches a foul ball to end the inning against Salt Fork
Olivia Strohm (R) makes a running catch as Ella Mattas (L) and Lauren English (C) give way
