Solon got back into WaMaC action last week going 0-4 against Benton and Center Point-Urbana in four non-competitive games where Solon’s struggles on offense and defense have taken a toll on their season record.
Benton travelled to Solon June 22 and saw Laeni Hinkle pitching for the Lady Spartans. Things started well as she retired the first six Bobcat hitters. Solon then rallied with a leadoff walk from Beckitt Kabela and an Ashtyn Swancutt single. A fielder’s choice and Layla Knazze walk filled the bases but a strikeout and pop up ended the inning. Hinkle worked around a leadoff double holding Benton scoreless in the third, but they finally opened the scoring, getting a run on two hits in the fourth. Swancutt’s second hit and a Beckett Kruse’ hit by pitch put a pair of Solon runners on in the fourth but again they went scoreless. Benton added two runs in the sixth and four in the seventh to round out the scoring, winning 7-0.
Stats
Hits – Ashtyn Swancutt 2
Walk – Beckitt Kabela 1, Layla Knazze 1
Pitching – Laeni Hinkle (L) 6.1 innings, 130 pitches, 10 hits, 7 runs (3 earned), 4 walks, 7 strikeouts. Zoey Melloy 0.2 innings, 4 pitches, 0 hits, 0 runs, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts
Game two started the same with early struggles from the Solon bats. Kinley Strief singled and scored on a wild pitch in the first, but goose eggs in the second and third saw Solon trailing 2-1. The fourth inning decided the game as Benton scored six runs on five hits and a pair of walks to take an 8-1 lead. Benton moved to 12-14 while Solon went to 13-13 on the season.
Solon got two runs back in the bottom half of the inning when Hinkle reached on a single and Nelson and Swancutt rapped RBI doubles making it 8-3. Nelson would add another RBI hit in the bottom of the fifth and Kabela would knock in two more as well more, but the Benton offense would not let up, and a Hinkle RBI double would leave the Lady Spartans on the wrong end of an 11-7 score. Emerson Miller took the loss for Solon, allowing six earned runs and seven hits and five walks. Kabela threw three innings of relief, allowing a pair of earned runs on five hits. Swancutt had five hits in the doubleheader.
Stats
Hits – Laeni Hinkle 3, Ashtyn Swancutt 3, Liv Nelson 2, Beckitt Kabela 2, Nora Sanderson 2, Kinley Strief 1
2B – Hinkle 1, Nelson 1, Swancutt 1
RBI – Nelson 2, Kabela 2, Hinkle 1, Swancutt 1
Walk – Kinley Strief 1, Emerson Miller 1, Sanderson 1
Runs – Hinkle 2, Nelson 2, Strief 1, Chloe Madura 1, Sanderson 1
Pitching – Miller (L) 4.0 innings 82 pitches, 7 hits, 8 runs (6 earned), 5 walks, 2 strikeouts. Kabela 3.0 innings, 48 pitches, 5 hits, 3 runs (2 earned), 0 walks, 2 strikeouts
Things went from bad Monday to worse Wednesday June 24 as Solon last a pair of 9-1 games in Center Point. Kabela pitched for Solon and kept the Lady Spartans in the game early. Kabela, who struck out a career high five hitters, was also tagged for 13 hits and seven earned runs in the loss. The sophomore held CPU to a pair of earned runs over five innings (4-1 deficit), but Solon could only muster a sixth inning run when Hinkle singled and scored on Maddie Bell’s hit. CPU rallied for five runs in the bottom of the sixth and the game was over.
Stats
Hits – Ashtyn Swancutt 1, Laeni Hinkle 1, Dillon Ostrander 1, Beckett Kruse 1, Maddy Bell 1
2B – Ostrander 1, Kruse 1
RBI – Bell 1
Walk – Nora Sanderson 2
Run – Hinkle 1
Pitching – Beckitt Kabela (L) 5.2 innings, 112 pitches, 13 hits, 9 runs (7 earned), 1 walk, 5 strikeouts
In game two Miller and Zoey Melloy threw for Solon but the same result ensued for the Lady Spartans as Swancutt’s RBI single in the last inning was the only run Solon would get. Center Point would score in each of their five at bats to win by the mercy rule again. Liv Nelson had a pair of hits in the loss. Solon went to 13-15 on the season and 6-12 in the WaMaC. CPU moved to 12-17 and 6-12 in conference play.
Stats
Hits – Liv Nelson 2, Ashtyn Swancutt 1, Laeni Hinkle 1, Layla Knazze 1
RBI – Swancutt 1
SAC – Kinley Strief 1
Walk – Dillon Ostrander 1
Run – Chloe Madura 1
Pitching – Zoey Melloy (L) 2.1 innings, 35 pitches, 5 hits, 4 runs (3 earned), 0 walks, 0 strikeouts. Emerson Miller 2.1 innings, 59 pitches, 5 hits, 5 runs (4 earned), 1 walk, 0 strikeouts