TROY – The Edwardsville girls’ softball team is on a roll with 11 straight wins.
Edwardsville is now 18-7, and continues its road swing Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. against Belleville West, then plays at a tournament at Bradley-Bourbonnais this weekend, meeting up with Rock Island next Friday at 6:30 p.m., and finishes up the tournament next Saturday. The Tigers then play at Alton Apr. 28, and Columbia Apr. 29, both games starting at 4:30 p.m.
Sophie Antonini drove in three runs, while ace pitcher Marley Fox struck out seven in three innings of work as Edwardsville’s softball team started a long stretch of road games off on the right foot with a 7-0 win at Triad Friday afternoon in Troy.
The Tigers got off to a great start to their road trip with their 11th consecutive win, and now are 18-7 on the season. The Knights were held to four hits and lost the second game in the last three, but have won six of their last eight.
Edwardsville took the lead in the top of the second, starting when Lily Stone reach on an error, Antonini sacrificed her to second, and after a walk to Maggie Bray, scored on a fielder’s choice grounder hit by Audrey De La Torre Cruz that forced Bray at second, but Stone came all the way around to score and make it 1-0 for the Tigers.
Edwardsville doubled the lead in the third, starting with a one-out hit by Amelia Wilfong, who stole second immediately, Bryar Ellinger drew a walk, and Brooke Burris singled home Wilfong, with Ellinger going to second on the play, making the score 2-0 for Edwardsville. One out later, Antonini’s first RBI single of the day scored Burris and Ellinger to make it 4-0.
In the fifth, Burris singled with one out, went to second on a passed ball, then Stone walked to put runners on first and second. Antonini singled home Burris and sent Ellinger to third to make it 5-0 Tigers, while Antonini went to second on the play. Stone scored, and Antonini went to third when Bray grounded out to second, making it 6-0. and after a walk to De La Torre Cruz, Antonini came in on a passed ball to make the score 7-0.
With Makaela Pippins pitching in the sixth, the Knights had a first-and-second chance with one out, but a double play ended the inning, and Pippins got the side out with little trouble in the seventh to preserve the shutout and give Edwardsville the 7-0 win.
Antonini led the way for the Tigers with two hits and three RBIs, while Burris had two hits and drove in a run, De La Torre Cruz had a hit and an RBI. Wilfong came up with a hit, and Bray also drove in a run. Fox went for three innings inside the circle and was credited with the win, not allowing a run or hit, walking one and fanning seven, while Pippins went for the final four innings, not giving up a run, but allowed four hits, walked one and fanned one.
Grace Zitta had two of the Knights’ four hits, while Addison Hagarty and Abby Harper had the others. Harper started in the circle, and was charged with the loss, going four innings, and giving up four runs, three earned, on three hits, walking two and striking out two, while Avery lLintz went for one inning, allowing three runs, two earned, on two hits, walking two and striking out none, and Olivia Zitta went he final two innings, giving up two hits, walking none and fanning two.
Triad is now 13-7, and next play at Jersey on Monday, then hosts Highland on Wednesday, and plays at Centralia next Friday, all games starting at 4:30 p.m.
