DIERKS – The Dierks Lady Outlaws took to the field for two softball adventures in the first part of this week, with one being a singular event that should cement the reputation of their young pitcher.
The Dierks girls first faced off on their home field against the Gurdon Lady GoDevils Monday afternoon. Scoring was fairly quickly paced, and as many games at this point in the season it ended early as the 15-run rule was invoked.
Madison Burgess made the first score for the Lady Outlaws as Alexis Simmons hit a sacrifice fly to bring her in on the bottom of the first. In the second, things were a bit more active as Lily Woodruff scored on a wild pitch, Adrianna Walston ran in on a ground ball to short stop by Miranda Mack, and Burgess smacked a line drive to right field that brought in Kyla Kompkoff, Mack and Kyla Hill. That put the score Dierks 6-0.
On the bottom of the third, the Dierks team made their biggest offensive strides. Melanie Kesterson started by running in on an error, then Walston scored on a wild pitch. Kompkoff was walked in, as was Stephanie Stuart, then Hill ran in on a wild pitch and as that was happening there was an error that allowed Burgess to also come in on the play. At the end of three innings the score sat Dierks 12-0.
For the fourth and final inning, the Lady Outlaws netted three more runs as Stuart ran home on a wild pitch, then Simmons smacked a final line drive to third to bring in both Mack and Hill to invoke the 15-run rule and end the game Dierks 15-0.
But impressive as the offensive display was, that is not the important element of this game. Rather it was the accomplishment of a no-hitter by pitcher Alexis Simmons. While varsity softball is by far not the same game as major league baseball, it is still a major rarity to see a no-hitter. This game was kept from being a perfect game by one walk in the first inning, but the accomplishment should not be minimized. Simmons struck out more than a quarter of the Lady GoDevils she faced, and ended the game with a strike percentage above 60 percent.
Burgess was definitely the Lady Outlaw who posted the most impressive stats on offense, with two runs, a hit and four RBIs in only two at bats. Simmons also was effective in the batter’s box, coming in only one behind Burgess in RBIs.
Coming off of that Monday accomplishment, the Lady Outlaws took a day before hosting the Genoa Central Lady Dragons. Rather than ending in an early win, the game started slow and built to a decided Genoa Central lead until the Dierks team staged their late rally.
The first innings were generally defensive battles, with the Lady Dragons only achieving a pair of runs late in the top of the second. The score was increased steadily by Genoa Central with a single run each in the third, fourth and fifth innings to set it at Genoa Central 5-0.
The Lady Outlaws staged their rally in the bottom of the sixth, starting with Walston coming in as Mack grounded out to short, then Simmons brought Woodruff home on a line drive to center field. Emily Wisenhunt advanced home on a throw, Stuart knocked a line drive to right that allowed Kompkoff to run in, then Stuart was brought home on a grounder to third by Hill. This tied the game going into the seventh.
Neither team was having spectacular success through the seventh, though Woodruff doubled and Mack singled with two outs, when Woodruff was able to advance on a throw. That fortuitous event earned a final run, ending the game Dierks 6-5.
Simmons was again credited with the win, actually improving her strike percentage over the previous game to nearly 65 percent of 114 pitches.
The Lady Outlaws next take the field when they host the Mineral Springs Lady Hornets Friday afternoon.
