Lady Leps Offense Explodes Against West Branch

Gianna Falcone Louisville vs. West Branch Softball

FULL VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS

Louisville 15, West Branch 5, 5 innings

Gianna Falcone went 3-for-4 with a three-run homer & a three-run double to help Louisville top West Branch 15-5 in 5 innings.  Emily Isla and Chandler Rice also blasted home runs during their 9-run fifth inning that allowed them to improve to 10-2 overall and 5-0 in the NBC.

For everything West Branch threw at them, the Lady Leps had an answer.  The Warriors led 3-1 heading into the bottom of the third after busting out three runs on three hits in the top of the inning.  After Rice reached base on an error and Jordan Monnot walked, Falcone came to the plate with two outs.  She ripped a ball to deep left field in the direction of the wind and consequently it landed in the parking lot.  Falcone’s first career home run gave Louisville the lead back at 4-3.

But the defending DII Alliance District Champions answered right back.  Bailey McElwain cracked a 2-run single that put West Branch back in front 5-4.  However, two pitches later she was called for leaving early at first ending the West Branch fourth.  McElwain finished the evening 2-for-3 with 3 RBI’s.

 


The Leopards recaptured the lead in the bottom of the fourth.  Isla & Rice walked to start the rally.  Then Annie Woolf again drove home Isla much like she did in the opening inning to tie the game at 5-5.  Two batters later, Monnot singled home Rice to give the Leopards the lead.  6-5 Louisville led at four innings playerd.

Falcone pitched a solid 1-2-3 fifth inning fanning two of the hitters she faced.  She ended up with three total strikeouts on the night.

Falcone also led off the Louisville fifth with a fly out to the third baseman.  It would be the final out of the ball game as the Leopard batted around the lineup and erupted for nine runs in the inning.  Carlee Baumgardner started the parade with a triple to center field.  Then Brittany Flanigan doubled into the gap in left-center to score Baumgardner.


Isla wasted no time in getting in on the action either.  She planted the first pitch she saw into the pine Beatty's Sports Spring Sports Logos Softballtree in left-center for a two-run homer.  After a walk to Katie Cozy, Rice copied Isla by belting a pitch way out to center.  This time the ball cleared the pine tree and made its first bounce onto parking lot pavement.  11-5 Lady Leopards.

After that, four straight balls put Woolf aboard first, Shelby Swigert singled aboard, and Monnot reached base to load the bases courtesy of a West Branch error.  Then Falcone blasted the first pitch she saw to right-center and just missing a fence-clearing, game-ending Grand Slam to cap of her superb night.  The next best thing happened though as she doubled home all three runners and ended up standing on third base.  Eight pitches later Falcone came home for the game-ending run via a wild pitch.

The 15-5 victory keeps the Lady Leopards alone atop the NBC Standings.  With Minerva also topping Alliance 2-1 Tuesday, the Leopards have a two-game cushion on everyone.  The Lady Leps will resume NBC play Thursday at Canton South.


PICTURES

Box Score

Team 123-45–R-H-E

West Branch 003-20–5-6-3

Louisville 103-29–15-14-2

Coming Soon

Records: Louisville 10-2, 5-0; West Branch 6-5, 3-2

NEXT UP: The Lady Leps will next travel to Canton South to take on the Wildcats on Thursday, April 12 at 4:30 PM.  JV will also play at Canton South during the same time.

 

JV REPORT

Louisville 26, West Branch 23

The Lady Leopards erased a 9-0 deficit in large part thanks to a 12-run second inning.  Louisville eventually won the game 26-23 after holding off a 5-run West Branch rally in the top of the seventh.  Kelly Conn, Keri Hupp, Michelle Mazzon, Kassidy Lowden, and Jessica Hamsher all had three hits for Louisville and Kylie Zifer also hit a three-run homre in the sixth inning for the Leopards.

PICTURES

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