The first week of the softball season for the Penney High School Lady Hornets received a jolt of enthusiasm on Wednesday night, as Graycen Prothero’s RBI base hit in the bottom of the 7th gave Hamilton a thrilling 4-3 victory over the visiting Marceline Lady Tigers.
The game between two of the better teams locally in Class 2 lived up to its billing, with the visiting Tigers claiming a 1-0 lead after the top of the 1st inning, only to see the Hornets surge in the middle innings, with two runs in the 4th and a single tally in the 5th giving the home team a 3-1 lead.
Going up against Hamilton starting pitcher Julia Kanoy, Marceline rallied in the visiting sixth, scoring twice to tie the game at 3. The game stayed tied under Prothero’s game-winner in the 7th, giving the victory to Kanoy, while saddling Lady Tiger junior Maycee Edgar with the loss.
Kanoy and Jaide Herrera had RBI’s for the Hornets, with McKauley Prothero and Lexi Potts leading the offense with a pair of base hits.
Hamilton will face one of its biggest tests on Monday afternoon, with the Trenton Lady Bulldogs paying a visit to “Hornet Country” for a 5 o’clock game against their long-time rival. Monday’s contest will be broadcast on Hot Country Z 101.7. Tonight (Thursday), Hamilton is at Higginsville and Trenton at Princeton.
In other softball finals from Wednesday night, King City walloped North Andrew in GRC Western Division play 12-2, while St. Joseph Lafayette edged St. Teresa’s Academy 7-5.
In GRC play tonight (Thursday night), in addition to Trenton at Princeton, other “East” matchups are Putnam County at Gallatin, Maysville at South Harrison, and Milan at Polo. Putnam County, Trenton, and South Harrison started conference play two nights ago with victories. Gallatin and Polo have not yet played a conference game.
In the GRC Western Division, Albany visits Pattonsburg and Stanberry travels to Braymer. In non-conference action, Worth County is at North-West Nodaway.
Other softball games of note on the Thursday slate will be Brookfield at South Shelby, Lawson at Chillicothe, Cameron at Bishop LeBlond, Carrollton at Lathrop, and Grundy R-5 at Gilman City.
