***Kendall Vincent is a participant of The Kewanee Voice Student Journalism Program, funded by the Harry Anderson Memorial Trust.
Madison Smith delivered a standout performance, driving in four runs on three hits to help propel the Annawan/Wethersfield Titans to a 17-6 win over Earlville Varsity on Tuesday.
Smith blasted a multiple defensive error, three-run in the park home run to center field in the fifth inning and added an RBI single in the second.
Earlville Varsity struck first in the opening inning when Samantha Knauf singled to drive in two runs.
However, the Titans quickly turned the game around in the bottom of the first, putting up six runs on five hits to take a commanding 6-2 lead. The highlight of the inning came when Clara Bella VanOpdorp crushed a bases-loaded hit into the outfield. As the ball rolled deep, defensive miscues allowed her to round the bases and cross home plate, turning what could have been a routine extra-base hit into an inside-the-park grand slam.
Annawan/Wethersfield continued to build on their lead in the second inning, with Smith’s single to center and Wavelynn Peart’s double each driving in a run.
The Titans tacked on another run in the third, thanks to a solo home run to center by Kendall Vincent.
A seven-run fifth inning sealed the victory for Annawan/Wethersfield. Smith’s three-run homer, an error that allowed a run to score, a single by Lillie Bowen that drove in another, and a two-run double by VanOpdorp capped off the offensive explosion.
Lauren Davis earned the win on the mound, pitching five innings while allowing 11 hits and six runs (four earned). She struck out seven and walked two. Addie Scherer took the loss for Earlville Varsity, surrendering 11 runs (eight earned) on 10 hits over three innings, while striking out five and walking two. Riley Kelly started for Earlville, allowing five hits and six runs (one earned) in one inning.
The Titans’ offense was firing on all cylinders, racking up 15 hits. Smith and Karsyn Rico led the way with three hits each. VanOpdorp was a key contributor from the eighth spot in the lineup, driving in six runs while going 2-for-4. Vincent and Peart also had multiple hits.
Earlville Varsity totaled 11 hits, with Knauf and Scherer each driving in two runs. Scherer had a strong day at the plate, going 3-for-3, while Bailey Miller and Kelly also recorded multiple hits.
