Sikeston rolls: Offense was key in 8-2 win over Chaffee

Sikeston's Annie Ramey dives back safely into first base as Chaffee first baseman Hailey Enderle applies a tag on Tuesday at the Sikeston Sports Complex. Sikeston won the game 8-2.
(David Jenkins, Staff)

The Chaffee Lady Devils provided the Lady Bulldogs with an early deficit on Tuesday afternoon at the Sikeston Sports Complex and Sikeston quickly turned it around.

"It's almost like we need that to start off," Sikeston senior Sarah Hopson said. "We see that we're ahead of us and it gives us a lot of momentum. We know that we have to work hard for it.

"Once we see that we're down, it's our job to pick it up."

The Lady Bulldogs scored five runs in the bottom of the second as the Sikeston offense and defense led by Hopson between the circle proved too much for the visiting Lady Devils in a 8-2 win.

Sikeston (3-1) had a total of seven hits on the day against a combination of Chaffee hurlers -- Montana Estes and Hailey Enderle -- and four of them came in the second inning.

A walk to Sarah Dixon got things underway as Nicki James advanced to second on a throwing error to first in the next at-bat, scoring the game's first run in the process. An RBI single from Annie Ramey tied the game at two apiece until Courtney Collins knocked a two-RBI single which made it 4-2 Sikeston.

Sydney Davied then roped her second triple of the game to deep left field scoring Collins from second.

"Offense, again, was the key today," Sikeston head coach Tiffany Morgan said. "When we hit it's up and down the lineup. We have freshman and sophomores stepping up along with the seniors doing their part."

With the momentum that Sikeston's offense gave her, Hopson cruised through the next five innings. No Chaffee runners reached second base after Hopson gave up three hits in the top of the first. She surrendered only two hits in her last five innings.

A stout defense helped the starter a long the way.

"Once you hit well, it shows in the defense," said Hopson. "Everybody hit so well today."

Said Morgan: "We noticed that Sarah's pitches wasn't really working in the first inning and we got that worked out because she got used to where the ump was calling them. She went with it and once we gained momentum, it's hard to shut us down."

Both Collins and Davied each had two hits for Sikeston as Madison Chaney added a single as well.

A double by Chaffee's Sierra Miller sparked the Lady Devil's early start. A single by Hannah Bedwell followed by another single and an error during Maria Smith's at-bat gave Chaffee their 2-0 lead.

"The first inning I think she was leaving things over the middle of the plate," Chaffee head coach Shawn Powderly said. "After that, she settled down and started hitting her corners and made it tough on us. We've done a good job of putting it in play and making their defense work, but right now, we've ran into some pretty darn good defenses. We've got to find a way to put those hits together because it seems like every inning we have people on base.

"We just have to put them together."

Miller led Chaffee with two hits while Megan Horman added another in the seventh inning.

Both Sikeston and Chaffee are scheduled for the Notre Dame Softballfest starting Thursday. The Red Devils won't have to wait too long for a rematch as each team will meet each other at 3:30 p.m. in Kelso.

Chaffee 200 000 0 -- 2

Sikeston 050 201 x -- 8

WP -- Sarah Hopson. LP -- Montana Estes. Multiple hitters -- (C) Sierra Miller 2-3; (S) Courtney Collins 2-4, Sydney Davied 2-3. 2B -- (C) Miller. 3B -- (S) Davied 2.