Unbeaten In Unusual Fashion
KARNS CITY — It seemed like business as usual for Karns City.
The undefeated Gremlins' softball team — which began the night having outscored its opposition 96-12 through eight games this season — built a 7-0 lead on Moniteau in the first three innings Monday at Diehl Stadium.
Then things got a bit unusual.
Karns City (9-0) is still unbeaten, but had to score twice in the bottom of the eighth to secure a bizarre 9-8 victory.
“We were right there ... We had them down to the last strike,” Moniteau coach Lennie Claypoole said.
After a mammoth home run to left by Kate Allen led off the third inning and gave Karns City a 7-0 lead, Garrah Milochik lined a single to center. Claypoole then inserted left-hander Andy Eiler on the mound.
And the Gremlins stopped hitting.
“She throws a drop ball and our girls haven't faced a drop-ball pitcher this year,” KC coach Mike Stitt said. “She was shutting us down.
“And kudos to Moniteau for coming back.”
In five full innings of relief pitching, Eiler limited Karns City to two singles and allowed no runs, prior to the eighth.
In the meantine, the Warriors (2-5) battled back.
A sacrifice fly by Abby Rottman and RBI single by Amanda Dailey highlighted a three-run Moniteau fourth inning. Still, the team trailed 7-3 entering the seventh.
An infield error allowed two Moniteau runs to score. Rottman drilled a run-scoring single to center and an infield hit by Dailey tied the game.
Taylor Shultz led off Moniteau's eighth with a bunt single.She moved all the way to third on Brean Noah's sacrifice bunt and scored the go-ahead run on Courtney Stewart's bunt.
Just like that, Karns City's perfect record was in peril.
“These kids have a lot of character and they showed it today,” Stitt said. “They never lost confidence or gave up at any point.”
With one out in the bottom of the eighth, freshman Allison Walker reached on an error. She hit a ground ball back to Eiler, whose throw to first base was dropped.
Emily Wolfe grounded out, moving Walker to seccond. A passed ball pushed her to third.
With two balls and two strikes on her, Alyssa Stitt lined a single to center to tie the game. Mackenzie Dunn followed with a double down the left field line. Taylor Ekis ended the game by hitting a run-scoring single to left.
“All I was trying to do was hit a ground ball into the outfield because that's all we needed,” Ekis said. “She (Eiler) was throwing a drop ball on the outside corner and we kept swinging over it.
“I moved up in the box and was able to get my bat on the ball before it dropped.”Logan Byers pitched all eight innings to get the win for the Gremlins. She continually pitched out of trouble as Moniteau stranded 14 runners.Byers struck out eight, but walked four and hit six batters.“We left the bases loaded in the first and third innings and had good sticks up at the plate,” Claypoole said. “We just couldn't knock anybody in there for a while.“We handed them a bunch of runs in the first inning with fielding mistakes ... This loss is going to hurt a little bit.”The Warriors committed five errors in the first inning as Karns City scored four runs. Dunn had an RBI single in the frame.Dunn led KC's 11-hit attack, collecting two doubles, a single and three RBI. She had a two-run double in the second inning.“This turned into a crazy game,” Stitt said. “We finally got to that girl (Eiler) when our hitters faced her for a third time. It was just in time.”Moniteau 000 300 41 — 8 10 6Karns City 421 000 02 — 9 11 42 outs when winning run scoredW: Logan Byers 8IP (8K, 4BB). L: Andy Eiler 5.2IP (4K, 2BB).Moniteau (2-5): Dolcey Shunk 2-R, Cassidy Claypoole 2-1B 2-R, Abby Rottman 2-1B 2-RBI, Amanda Dailey 2-1B 2-RBI, Taylor Shultz 1B, Brean Noah 1B, Courtney Stewart 1B RBI, Maddie Clark 2BKarns City (9-0): Emily Wolfe 1B 2-R, Alyssa Stitt 1B 3-R, Mackenzie Dunn 2-2B 1B 3-RBI, Taylor Ekis 2-1B RBI, Kate Allen HR 2-R, Garrah Milochik 2B 1B , Brittney Friters 1BTuesday: Moniteau at Union, Karns City at Grove City
