Lady Leps Complete Undefeated NBC Run, Break Win Record
Louisville 14, Marlington 0, 5 Innings
Chandler Rice went 3-for-4 with a Grand Slam and Jordan Monnot hit a homer and had 3 RBI’s to lead the Lady Leopards to a 14-0 five inning win at Marlington Saturday morning. The win moves Louisville to 25-3, 14-0 on the year and completes their undefeated 14-0 NBC run. Their 25th victory is also a school record eclipsing last year’s 24-2 mark. Gianna Falcone also pitched a five inning shutout and Katie Cozy blasted a home run during the rout.
After a scoreless first inning, Louisville earned each of their first two runs of the game on one mammoth blast to left field. Monnot’s towering two-run homer cleared the left field fence by at least 15 feet to give Louisville a 2-0 advantage. The home run was Monnot’s third of the season, all of them crushed. The Baby Blue Bombers did not stop there though as Cozy led-off the third inning by planting a pitch over the far left field fence. The solo shot was Cozy’s team-leading sixth home run of the season and it put the Leopards up 3-0.
Louisville scored two more runs before the third inning ended. Back-to-back singles by Rice and Annie Woolf put runners on the corners with nobody out. Then Shelby Swigert laid down a sacrifice bunt allowing Rice to easily score from third. Two batters later, Falcone doubled to deep right allowing Woolf to score from third and put the Leps up 5-0 after three.
The Lady Leps tacked on two more runs in the fourth inning. Amy Hoover, who batted lead-off for the first time this year, smacked a triple to right field to open the inning. Emily Isla followed with an RBI single to right that scored Hoover. A 1-out double by Rice put her and Isla in scoring position. Then Swigert’s bloop infield single allowed Isla to come home from third. 7-0 Louisville.
The Leopard offense completely erupted in the fifth inning as they doubled their run total for the game. Falcone reached base on an error. Then Carlee Baumgardner smashed an RBI double to center that scored the pinch-running Brooke Cox. After that, Hoover recorded her third hit of the game with a bunt single to put runners on the corners. Another slap to right field by Isla brought home Baumgardner from third to make it 9-0 Leopards. On the ensuing at-bat Hoover and Isla successfully completed a double steal. Marlington then carefully pitched to Cozy with first base open and she drew a walk to load the bases.
Rice followed by hammering a 2-0 pitch clean over the left-center field fence for a no-doubter and a Grand Slam. The ball cleared the fence by a good 20-30 feet before it landed, hopped three times, and bounced off the back wall of the football field’s concession stand. For Rice, it was her fifth homer of the year and for the Lady Leps it was there 21st round-tripper of the season. The result was a 13-0 lead for Louisville and there was still nobody out in the inning.
Next, Woolf doubled and advanced to third on a passed ball. Then Monnot tipped a pitch and the ball landed and stopped about three feet in front of the plate. It got the job done though as she recorded her third RBI of the game on the sacrifice that scored Woolf.
Falcone struck out the first two Duke batters in the seventh and had five strikeouts during her performance in the circle. The third Marlington batter grounded out to Cozy at short. Ball Game! History!
For the second time in three years Louisville Softball went undefeated in the Northeastern Buckeye Conference. Louisville is 41-1 in the league the past three seasons with their only lost coming last year at home against Carrollton. The Lady Leopards have also won their last 21 straight league games played outside of the Diamond of Dreams. They will now look to continue their legacy when they play third-seeded Lake Monday in the District Semifinals at Massillon Community Park.
PICTURES
Pictures Taken by Jared Heller and Kyle Hupp. Big thanks to Kyle for all his help this season in photographing JV/Varsity softball.
Box Score
Team 123-45–R-H-E
Louisville 023-27–14-16-0
Marlington 000-00–0-0-2
Hoover | 3-3 | 3B, BB, 2 SB, 1 RBI, 2 Runs
Isla | 2-4 | SB, 2 RBIs, 2 Runs
Cozy | 1-3 | HR, BB, RBI, 2 Runs
Rice | 3-4 | HR, 2B, 4 RBIs, 2 Runs
Woolf | 2-4 | 2B, 2 Runs
Swigert | 1-3 | SAC, SB, 2 RBIs, Run
Monnot | 1-4 | HR, 3 RBIs, Run
Falcone | 1-4 | 2B, RBI
— Cox | 0-0 | SB, Run
Baumgardner | 1-3 | 2B, RBI, Run
Records: Louisville 25-3, 14-0; Marlington 4-17, 3-10
NEXT UP: The Leps will next take on the Lake Blue Streaks in the DI Massillon District Semifinals at Massillon Community Park on Monday, May 14 at 5:15 PM.
JV REPORT
Louisville Wins
The Lady Leopards JV squad officially came to a close Saturday, but they did not have to earn the victory on the field. Marlington did not have enough players so they were forced to forfeit. The forfeit completes the JV squads’ 14-0 undefeated NBC run as they finish 18-7 overall.