Softball Team KOs Mascoutah With Three Home Runs, Solid Pitching

By Sam Graf

For the Times-Tribune

The Triad Girls’ Softball team relied on three home runs to propel its 6-2 victory at Mascoutah, Monday, May 6, as it stays atop the Mississippi Valley Conference with a 6-1 mark. Overall, the Knights improve to 16-5.

Also instrumental in the victory, hurler Liz Young struck out 10 in seven innings of work, earning her 15th victory against two losses.

“It was a big win, getting our sixth one in the MVC,” Triad Coach Kris Kleeman said. “Young was hitting her spots, well, doing a good job of attacking the batters. She really kept her focus.

“We hit the ball with power and did a good job of hitting behind Young. It was a good win. It was certainly an honor to be apart of this ‘Strike Out for Cancer game.’”

In the third inning, Payton Bode put Triad up 1-0 when she punched a single up the middle that scored Ella Moore.

Moore had started the production with a single, got to second via Sydney Wildhaber’s sacrifice bunt, and advanced to third on Caroline Lehan’s two-out single.

Then, the Knights iced the win with two solo home runs in the fourth inning. Isabelle Lehan made it 2-0 with her four-bagger to left-center — her ninth of the season, which set a new school record

Shiane Taylor followed Lehan with her own game-winning dinger, which also traveled beyond the left-center fence.

The fireworks continued in the fifth inning. Bode took advantage of a pitching mistake and blasted a two-run home run to dead center that scored Caroline Lehan who had singled up the middle.

The Knights added an insurance run in the top of the seventh inning that blunted Mascoutah’s two runs scored in the bottom half.

Upcoming: Triad hosts Highland, Wednesday, May 8; travels to Collinsville, Friday, May 10 — both at 4:15 p.m.; travels to Waterloo, Saturday, May 11, for a 10 a.m., makeup game.