In a series that was by and large determined by the pitchers - Hayden Mowrey of S&S and Cambree Oakes of Rains - something had to give in the third game of their best-of-three series. Mowrey hit a game-winning three-run home run in the Lady Rams’ 10-7 series-opening win, and Oakes returned the favor in the second game with a three-run blast of her own that gave the Lady Cats a 4-1 series-tying victory.
While pitching still played a large role in last Saturday’s decisive third game, it ultimately came down to opportunities and mistakes. Rains (31-6-1) took advantage of timely hits, four S&S errors, and clutch pitching and defense to scratch across two runs in a series-clinching 2-0 win last Saturday at Princeton High School.
The Lady Cats claimed the Class 3A region quarterfinal softball series in three games. Rains faces Mount Vernon in the region semifinal round this weekend. S&S finished its season 28-9.
GAME THREE
RAINS 2, S&S 0
The Lady Cats kept the Lady Rams’ bats in check during last Saturday’s series-clinching win. Oakes and the Rains defense limited S&S to just four hits.
Mowrey (2-3) and Lana Walters (2-3, 3B) had the Lady Rams’ only hits. The Lady Cats scored once in the top of the third inning and once in the top of the sixth.
GAME TWO
RAINS 4, S&S 1
Oakes hit a three-run homer with two outs in the bottom of the seventh to keep Rains alive with a 4-1 victory last Friday. The pitcher was 2-for-4 with three RBIs at the plate, and also struck out nine batters while giving up a run on two hits.
S&S struck first in the top of the second when Tynslie Adcock scored on a wild pitch. The Lady Cats tied the game in the bottom of the second with a hit, an error and a sacrifice bunt.
Adcock (1-2, BB) and Bri Fowler (1-3, 3B) had the only hits for the Lady Rams. Mowrey walked three times, including one intentionally in the top of the seventh.
GAME ONE
S&S 10, RAINS 7
Mowrey’s three-run blast in the bottom of the sixth broke a 7-7 tie and lifted S&S to a series-opening 10-7 victory last Thursday. The sophomore hurler was 3-for-3 with a walk.
Mowrey’s hits included a double, a triple and a homer - which combined for five RBIs.
She also struck out eight batters and gave up seven runs on nine hits in the pitcher’s circle.
The series opener featured three lead changes and three ties. The Lady Rams took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first off of an RBI double from Mowrey and an RBI single from Hayden Kight.
The score remained the same until the top of the fourth when Rains used three hits, two errors and a walk to score four runs and seize a 4-2 lead.
S&S got the lead back in the bottom of the fourth, 5-4, with an error, an RBI single from Fowler and an RBI sacrifice fly from Walters.
The Lady Cats tied the game, 5-5, in the top of the fifth on a sacrifice fly. But the Lady Rams used an RBI triple from Mowrey and an error to take a 7-5 lead heading into the sixth.
Rains used two errors and an inside-the-park home run to tie the game at 7 in the top of the sixth before Mowrey hit her game-clinching three-run blast in the bottom of the frame.
Mowrey then retired three of the four Lady Cats batters in the top of the seventh to clinch the win.
In addition to Mowrey’s performance at the plate, Kight (2-4, RBI) had multiple hits. Fowler (1-3, RBI), Walters (1-1, 2 BB, SAC, RBI) and Makayla Adams (1-3, BB) also contributed.