The Effingham Lady Hearts opened Apollo Conference play in impressive fashion Saturday.
They scored 13 runs, banged out 19 hits and received a pair of strong pitching performances, which led to a doubleheader sweep at Lincoln.
Jaidi Davis scattered seven hits and got by with issuing seven walks in the opener. She also drove in what proved to be the winning run in the Lady Hearts’ 3-1 win.
In the nightcap, Emma Hardiek belted a home run and drove in four runs, and Taylor Armstrong allowed only run, leading EHS to a 10-1 decision and the sweep of the twin-bill.
In the first game, Grace Bushur reached base on a dropped third strike, stole second and third and scored on a ground ball by Sawyer Althoff to give the Lady Hearts a 1-0 lead in the opening inning.
It stayed that way until the fifth. With two outs, Althoff singled, stole second, went to third on a passed ball and scored on an RBI single by Davis. Riley Cunningham delivered a run-scoring double in the sixth to complete the scoring.
The Lady Railers had plenty of chances to score, but left 14 runners stranded. That included leaving the bases loaded in the first and sixth. Davis recorded key outs when she needed to, including 10 strike outs.
In the second contest, the Lady Hearts broke on top early, scoring three runs in both the first and second innings.
Four doubles accounted for the three runs in the opening frame. Bushur, Davis, Hardiek and Jacy Boatman all had two-baggers as the Lady Hearts broke out to a 3-0 lead.
In the second, EHS put together a two-out rally. Althoff singled, Davis was hit by a pitch and Hardiek followed with a three-run blast that sailed over the centerfield fence.
The Lady Hearts added four more runs in the fourth. Armstrong’s RBI double and Daelyn Dunston’s two-run single were the key hits.
Armstrong pitched all five innings to get the win. She allowed seven hits and one run, while walking one and striking out three.
The Lady Hearts improved to 5-1 on the season and 1-0 in the conference. Only the first game of a doubleheader between Apollo Conference teams counts toward the conference standings. Effingham will play at home Monday against Neoga.
