***Kendall Vincent is a participant of The Kewanee Voice Student Journalism Program, funded by the Harry Anderson Memorial Trust.
Annawan/Wethersfield Titans Fall After Strong Showing by Mercer County Golden Eagles
The Annawan/Wethersfield Lady Titans dropped a tough matchup Thursday night, falling 9-1 to a sharp Mercer County Golden Eagles squad.
Mercer County came out strong and never looked back, scoring early in the first inning with an RBI groundout from Alivia Gillespie. The Golden Eagles built on that momentum in the second, capitalizing on a Titans error and stringing together a series of hits.
Kylie Weeks doubled down the left field line, followed by RBI singles from Natalie Thomson and Maddy Campbell-Baker, pushing their lead to 4-0.
A third-inning double by Jayden Weeks added another blow, extending the Eagles’ lead to 6-0.
On the mound, Elsie Cook kept the Titans at bay, pitching a complete game. She allowed only four hits and one run over seven innings, striking out three without issuing a single walk. Madison Smith took the loss for the Titans, battling through six innings while giving up nine runs on 10 hits and recording five strikeouts.
Clara Bella VanOpdorp was a bright spot for A/W, going a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate. Elynn Manuel drove in the Titans’ lone run and went 1-for-3 on the day.
Despite the loss, the Titans consistently put the ball in play, but Mercer County’s defense was locked in. The Golden Eagles played a clean, sound defensive game, limiting errors and making several key stops in the field to deny scoring opportunities. Every hard-hit ball seemed to find a glove, as Mercer’s defensive positioning and execution were on point all night.
Offensively, Mercer County tallied 10 hits, with Gillespie driving in three runs and going 2-for-3. Thomson had a flawless day at the plate, going 3-for-3 and setting the tone from the leadoff spot. The Eagles also flexed their speed on the basepaths, racking up seven stolen bases, with both Thomson and Kelsie Weeks swiping multiple bags.
