Ark Valley News - Hornets drop four league games

Caitlin Edwards catches a throw from Cheyenne Blackwood in a game against Goddard Eisenhower April 12. Valley Center lost the doubleheader 13-7 and 12-7.

Hornets drop four league games
By Chris Strunk
Last Updated: April 18, 2019

The Valley Center High School softball team fell to 3-9 (3-5 in the Ark Valley Chisholm Trail League II) with two doubleheader losses during the past week.

The Hornets lost to Ark City on the road April 16 and were swept by Goddard Eisenhower at home April 12.

Valley Center fell to Ark City 13-10 and 8-6.

In the first game, the Hornets jumped out to an early lead, lost it and then took it back only to give up six runs late in the contest to lose by three.

In the fourth inning, tied 6-6, Caitlin Edwards led off with a walk, Kelsey Brunton singled to right and Mallory Feather singled to right to load the bases. Eliza Grady drove in Edwards with a single to right. Macy Ostrom followed with a grounder to right, scoring Brunton and taking an 8-6 lead.

Emma Anderson hit a two-RBI single for a 10-6 advantage.

Ark City came back in the sixth to take the lead and hold on for the victory.

Brunton had three hits for the Hornets. Feather, Grady and Anderson had two hits each. Cheyenne Blackwood hit two home runs.

Anderson took the loss, surrendering 12 earned runs on 17 hits.

In the nightcap at Ark City, Valley Center trailed the entire contest and mounted a comeback attempt that fell short in the fifth.

Ark City led 4-0 before the Hornets got on the board with an RBI single by Anderson in the fourth inning.

Ark City answered with four runs for an 8-1 lead.

In the fifth, Feather hit an RBI double and Grady hit a two-run double to cut the lead to 8-4. Grady scored on an error and Blackwood hit a home run to center to edge closer. But Ark City closed the door with two outs to end the rally.

Grady finished the game with three hits. Blackwood had two.

Pitching, Blackwood gave up 12 hits and eight earned runs.

Valley Center lost to Eisenhower 13-7 and 12-7.

In the opener, Eisenhower staked a 7-0 lead before Valley Center got on the board in the third inning. The Hornets scored three in the fifth and two in the sixth, but Eisenhower stayed at least four steps ahead all game.

Trailing in the third, Valley Center embarked on a two-out rally that started with a Lia Groves single. Brunton doubled to left to score Groves, and Feather followed with a ground ball to center to score Brunton.

Eisenhower ended the rally with a strikeout.

Trailing 9-2 in the fifth, Edwards started the inning with a walk on four pitches. Brunton scored Edwards with a double to left. Feather and Grady walked to load the bases with one out. Anderson popped out to the pitcher.

Ostrom singled to left, scoring Brunton. Feather scored on a passed ball. Eisenhower ended the inning with another strikeout.

Trailing 12-5 in the sixth, Brunton hit another RBI single (her third of the game) and Feather knocked in Groves to cut the lead to 12-7. Eisenhower got out of the inning on a pop fly to right.

The Hornets went down in order in the seventh.

Brunton finished with three hits. Feather, Ostrom, Edwards and Groves had two hits each.

Anderson took the loss. She gave up 13 runs on 18 hits.

The second game was much like the first, with a slightly different outcome.

Eisenhower scored early and forced the Hornets to play catch-up, which they did. Trailing 4-1 after the first, the Hornets cut the lead to 5-4 with a three-run third. Eisenhower added a run in the fourth, and Valley Center took a 7-6 lead with three in the bottom of the inning.

Eisenhower answered with four runs in the fifth and two in the seventh, while Valley Center failed to plate any runs over the final three innings.

Grady doubled to start the third inning and Feather doubled to score Grady. Ostrom hit a home run over the left field fence to clear the bases and cut Eisenhower's lead to 5-4.

Blackwood continued the rally with a double to center field. With two outs, Groves hit a double to center, but Blackwood was caught trying to score, ending the inning.

Valley wasn't done.

Trailing 6-4 in the fourth, Rylie Schaffer reached first on a ground ball to left. Grady hit an RBI single to right. Feather drew a walk, and Ostrom delivered the tying run, knocking in Grady with a single to right. Anderson gave Valley Center its only lead of the night, 7-6, with a single to right, scoring Feather.

Eisenhower quickly regained the lead and never let it go.

Grady, Ostrom and Blackwood finished the game with three hits each. Groves and Anderson had two each.

Blackwood took the loss, giving up 12 runs on 16 hits. She walked four batters.

Valley Center will host Newton on April 18 and Maize South on April 23.

Junior varsity — The Hornet JV squad fell to Goddard Eisenhower 19-1 and 13-0. Valley Center also fell to Ark City 17-12 and 8-0.

Eisenhower 13, Valley Center 7

GE 241 023 1 — 13 19 0

VC 002 032 0 — 7 11 2

W — Montgomery. L — Anderson. 2B — VC: Groves, Brunton (2); GE: Mastin (2), Weber, Denning, McConnell, Gosch. HR — GE: Pabst.

Eisenhower 12, Valley Center 7

GE 401 140 2 — 12 17 0

VC 103 300 0 — 7 16 5

W — Montgomery. L — Blackwood. 2B — VC: Feather, Grady (2), Groves (2), Blackwood; GE: Weber, Denning, Furnish, Pabst, McCue. HR — VC: Ostrom.

Ark City 13, Valley Center 10

VC 402 400 0 — 10 12 2

AC 024 106 X — 13 17 1

W — Westoff. L — Anderson. 2B — AC: Westoff, Birdwell, Daniels, Musson, Colquhoun. 3B — AC: Camp. HR — VC: Anderson, Blackwood (2); AC: Westoff, Daniels.

Ark City 8, Valley Center 6

VC 000 150 0 — 6 10 2

AC 211 400 X — 8 12 1

W — Colquhoun. L — Blackwood. 2B — VC: Feather, Grady; AC: Westoff, Dickey. HR — VC: Blackwood; AC: Daniels.