The Effingham Lady Hearts exploded for seven runs over the final two innings to break open a tie game and roll to a 15-8 victory Wednesday over St. Anthony in Game 1 of the annual City Series.
It wasn’t the prettiest game, especially early. The two teams combined for 12 errors that accounted for 10 unearned runs in the contest.
The Lady Hearts led 8-4 at one time, but SAHS battled back to tie the game with two runs in the fourth and fifth.
In that fifth inning, Lucy Fearday and Maddie Kibler singled to get things started. Both runners moved up on a passed ball and scored when Sydney Kibler delivered a two-run single to knot the game at 8-8.
But Effingham quickly responded in the top of the sixth. With one out, Daelyn Dunston singled, Abby Cunningham walked and Sidney Donaldson drove in a run with a base hit. Tori Budde followed with an RBI double and the third run scored on an error.
The Lady Hearts blew it open in the seventh thanks to the long ball. Sawyer Althoff reached on error and with one out, Grace Bushur smacked the first pitch she saw over the leftfield fence for a two-run homer. Dunston then got her third hit of the game and Abby Cunningham sent a 2-1 pitch over the fence real close to the same spot where Bushur’s landed.
Bushur finished with three hits and three RBI and also scored four runs. Abby Cunningham added a pair of hits, scored three times and drove home four. Cameron Rios had three hits for the Lady Bulldogs.
Saige Althoff went the distance and got the win for EHS. She allowed eight hits and eight runs – with four of them unearned – while walking two and striking out three.
Sidney Kibler took the loss. She relieved in the sixth and allowed six hits and seven runs. She walked one and struck out one. Lucy Fearday was the starter and went the first five innings. She gave up seven hits and eight runs – four of them unearned. She didn’t walk a batter and struck out three.
The Lady Hearts improved to 14-11, while the Lady Bulldogs dropped to 21-4.
The City Series resumes today (Thursday) at Effingham’s field. Game time is 4 p.m.
The series finale will be Friday at Bulldog Field.
