In the first game of an Apollo Conference softball doubleheader, Mattoon defeated Charleston by a score of 9-3.
The Lady Wave scored twice in the first inning. Avery Jackson led off with a single. She went to second on a ground out, and scored on Kyliegh Basham’s base hit. Shelby Youngblood followed that with a single, pushing Basham to third. Brianna Poehler’s sacrifice fly to right field put Mattoon ahead, 2-0.
The lead grew to 3-0 after two innings. Kelsey Farmer’s one-out single set the stage. Sierra St. John, the courtesy runner for the Mattoon catcher, scored on Jackson’s double.
The Lady Wave added on to its lead in the fourth inning. Bella Coffey doubled, went to third on a sac bunt by Alyssa Mathias, and scored on Farmer’s second hit of the day. Avery Risinger followed that with a single to left field. Jackson, who went 4-4 in the game, then delivered a two-run triple to right-center field. Ivy Nichols drove in Jackson with a bunt single. Mattoon’s lead was 7-0.
Avery Jackson had a 4-hit game with 3 RBI’s and 3 runs scored.
In the circle, Lesley Swick was in control for the Lady Wave. The senior lefty pitched five innings, allowed no runs on four hits, walked three, and struck out eight. Brooklyn Edwards finished up the final two innings for Mattoon.
Charleston got on the board in the top of the sixth. Macey McElravy led off with a single. She came around to score on an error. McElravy would later launch a two-run home run in the seventh inning to pull Charleston a little closer, but the Mattoon lead was too much to overcome.
The game broadcast is available on-demand at myradiolink.com, courtesy of the Fellowship Center.
