PCM softball uses extra-base hits to down Lynnville-Sully

SULLY — Lark Drake has been one of the Mustangs’ best hitters in each of the past two seasons she’s been healthy enough to play in.

What she’s not considered though is a home run hitter.

But, with the wind blowing out on Tuesday, Drake became the seventh Mustang with a blast this season and her three hits led the PCM softball team to a 12-1 non-conference road win over Lynnville-Sully.

“I’ve always been known as the hitter who gets singles and doubles,” Drake said. “I can sometimes hit for power, but the wind definitely helped. It was the sweet spot on the bat, too.

“Even before the game, I noticed it was windy. I thought maybe I would have a good shot of getting one today. I’ve been waiting for that one forever.”

Drake’s first career varsity homer was the final run of the night for the Class 3A No. 10 Mustangs. She led off the fifth inning with a solo homer on a 1-0 pitch.

Her night also included three hits, a double, two runs and two RBIs. She’s currently ranked second on the team with a .383 batting average.

“Really happy for her. She’s been one of our best hitters the last five years,” PCM head softball coach Shaun Hudnut said. “She’s a line drive, gap hitter, but she did tell us before the season that she wanted to get one out before she graduated. It was good to see that.”

Libby Winters made her second varsity start in the circle and was spotted seven runs in the first inning.

PCM (17-3) sent 11 batters to the plate in its first at-bat. Drake led off the game with a single and Addison Steenhoek followed with a double.

Tori Lindsay’s two-run single made it 2-0. Scarlett Mosher also had a two-run single later in the frame and Drake got an RBI ground out before the inning ended. L-S also was plagued by a couple of errors.

Winters helped herself in the second when she clubbed a line drive home run to right field after Lindsay opened the frame with a single.

“There wasn’t much pressure after we scored seven runs in the first inning,” Winters said about the run support. “It helped me relax a little bit.”

Winters improved to 2-0. She’s the third Mustang pitcher to secure multiple wins this season. The staff has allowed just 22 earned runs in 20 games.

Winters allowed no earned runs against the Hawks. She surrendered four hits and struck out seven in four innings. Camden Webb tossed the fifth and struck out one.

Both Winters and Webb are eighth-graders who throw with their left hand. Sophomore Rylee Parsons is currently 11-1 with an earned run average of .86.

“We are really happy with our pitchers. We have a plethora of pitchers who can get the job done,” Hudnut said. “All three varsity girls are around 60 miles per hour.”

The PCM bats accounted for two homers and four doubles in the win. The two-run fourth inning featured RBI doubles by Lillian Humpal and Hadley Millang. Humpal has a team-best seven doubles this season.

Lynnville-Sully scored its run in the fourth. Alexy Conover and Ava Brummel had back-to-back singles to lead off the frame. A fielder’s choice off the bat of Kate Harthoorn retired courtesy runner Brilynn Tice at third.

Consecutive errors on ground balls in the infield allowed Brummel to score and made it 10-1. Winters stranded the bases loaded though when she ended the inning with back-to-back strikeouts.

“We knew going into the season she would be part of the mix at some point,” Hudnut said about Winters. “She had some forearm tendinitis that slowed her down. We shut her down for two weeks and just let her play outfield. Once her forearm started to feel better we ramped her back up.

“The last three JV games she pitched in, she faced 26 batters and struck out 22 or 23. At that point, it was time to go.”

Lindsay finished with two hits, two runs and two RBIs, Humpal had two hits, one double, two runs and one RBI and Winters homered, scored two runs, had two RBIs and walked once.

Lindsay leads the Mustangs with 23 runs and 38 total bases, while Winters has a team-best 24 RBIs.

Millang doubled, scored one run and had two RBIs, Mosher collected two RBIs on her one hit, Webb tallied one hit and one run, Steenhoek doubled and Ryan DeVore and Addi Hudnut both scored one run. Addi Hudnut also drove in one run.

Coach Hudnut said the focus lately with the offense has been on trying to hit their pitches.

“We feel like we have good hitters on the team. We sometimes don’t hit the pitches we need to hit,” Coach Hudnut said. “We just want to hit good pitches. We are super aggressive hitters and sometimes we chase pitches we shouldn’t. We are trying to recognize that and work counts to get pitches we can drive.”

Lynnville-Sully’s hits came from Conover, Brummel, Jakiera Hay and Peyton Sharp. Brummel scored the run and Morgan Jones tallied one RBI.

Jolan Fogle started in the circle and took the loss after allowing nine runs — four earned — on eight hits in one inning.

Conover pitched the final four frames and surrendered three earned runs on four hits and one walk. She struck out one. Both teams committed three errors.