Van Buren ends Patriots softball season
Marion’s run in postseason play ends with 10-5 loss to Pointers
By CHUCK LIVINGSTON
Marion School District
HOT SPRINGS — One could feel the momentum shifting to Marion during Friday’s softball quarterfinal contest against Van Buren.
The Patriots had just struck for three runs in the top of the fourth to take a 3-2 lead, to the enjoyment of the partisan Marion crowd assembled at Jackie Robinson Field at Majestic Park. Instead, the Pointers struck for eight unanswered runs in the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings to take down a 10-5 victory.
Marion 6, Lake Hamilton 5 The Marion softball team has gotten pretty good at playing in close games this spring. That trend continued last Thursday afternoon at Hank Aaron Field at Majestic Park.
Marion led 6-1 in the top of the seventh before watching Lake Hamilton score four times prior to the Patriots recording the final out to strand the tying run at third base, and the go-ahead run at second base for a 6-5 victory.
The Patriots improved to 18-10 overall in 2022, as well as 5-4 in one-run games, and will advance to Friday’s quarterfinal round against 5A West champion Van Buren (19-6) at noon at Majestic Park.
Marion sophomore starter Anna Hitchman’s record improved to 6-2 after working seven innings, scattering nine hits, and allowing five runs (three earned). Lake Hamilton hurler Madie Duke absorbed the loss. Junior lead-off batter Kelsey Baker sparked the Marion attack by reaching base four times (2-2 with a double, a run, a walk, and a hit-bypitch). The all-conference performer walked and scored the game’s first run when McKenzie Shinabery (1-3 with a double, an RBI, and a run) laced a first-inning double down the left-field line. Shinabery came to the plate when Hitchman reached on an error and Marion led 2-0 after one stanza.
Lake Hamilton scratched a run out in the top of the second with a walk, single and a sacrifice fly, but Marion was back at it in the bottom of the third when sophomore outfielder Kelsey Eppes (3-4 with two runs and an RBI) doubled and scored on shortstop Brianna Morquecho’s clutch single and the Pats led 3-1 after three frames.
Eppes plated Emerson Miller in the fourth inning with a single, and Eppes came around on Hitchman’s scoring single that pushed the Pats ahead 5-1 in the bottom of the fourth.
Eppes led off the sixth with a single and she scored on a passed ball for a 6-1 lead.
Nobody knew it at the time, but Marion’s sixth run would prove significant.
The first seven Wolves would reach in the top of the seventh inning, though Marion did turn one baserunner into an out. Lake Hamilton got within 6-5 on an RBI single by Abby Dalton, and when Dalton took second on defensive indifference, the Wolves had the tying run at third, with Dalton representing the lead run at second.
That’s when Hitchman induced a pop-out to second base before Emerson Miller ended the game with an athletic play going to her left to retire the side and move Marion to the quarterfinals for the second year in a row.
Van Buren 10, Marion 5 Van Buren took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second on a two-run single, but the Pats hit the comeback trail in the top of the fourth when sophomore left-fielder Kelsey Eppes (2-4 with two RBI and a run scored) singled to left field and moved to second when freshman designated hitter Chloe Miller (1-3 with a run scored) reached on a textbook bunt. Catcher Jacey Holder drew a two-out walk before giving way to courtesy runner Cupples.
Claire Hall clutched up and pounded a single to centerfield to bring Eppes and Chloe Miller to the plate to tie the game at two. Kelsey Baker followed Hall’s knock with a double to plate Cupples and Marion led 3-2 at the halfway point.
Facing a bases-loaded situation with nobody out in the bottom of the fourth, shortstop Brianna Morquecho fielded a hard-hit ball and flipped it quickly to Baker at second before completing a double play with a strike to Hall. The twin-killing plated a run, but the Pats were just an out away from entering the fifth inning even.
Instead, Van Buren brought two more runs to the plate for a 5-3 lead and Marion went in order in the fifth, setting the stage for another two-run Van Buren rally in the home half.
Van Buren led 10-3 in the seventh when Hall walked and centerfielder McKenzie Shinabery was hit by a pitch with two outs, setting the stage for an Eppes triple that plated a pair of runs to cap the scoring.
Marion finishes its season 18-11 overall and 9-5 in the 5A East, highlighted by a second straight conference runner- up finish, and a second consecutive appearance in the quarterfinals.
It was the final game for Marion senior softball seniors Emerson Miller, Gracie Griffin, Micah Cupples, Holley Ray Sheals, and Lauren Maness.
All-state performer Miller exits Marion with single-season school records in batting average (.578), slugging (1.363), on-base percentage (.656), home runs (18), triples (10), doubles (13), runs batted in (52), runs scored (57), and hits (59). The all-state performer will continue her softball career at West Georgia.
Miller and Griffin are the only two Marion starters expected to graduate in May, and the Pats could return starters at seven spots.
Photo by Marion softball
The 2022 Marion Patriot softball team poses on Friday afternoon following their season-ending game against Van Buren.
