Seventh inning surge sends Maysville to GRC win over Polo

For five innings of Tuesday night’s Grand River Conference East softball game at Maysville, the Polo Lady Panthers looked firmly in control, scoring two runs in the 3rd and 4th innings, and one in the bottom of the 5th, taking what appeared to be a commanding 5-0 lead over the Lady Wolverines.

From that point, the floor fell in on the Lady Panthers, as Maysville rose up to score three runs in the top of the sixth, then 12 runs in a stunning turn of events in the top of the 7th, with MHS claiming a 15-6 victory for the Lady Wolverines second consecutive conference win. Polo, with the loss, drops to 2-2 overall, and 1-2 in the GRC East, with the Lady Panthers late-inning woes at Milan, and now Maysville, thwarting what could have been a 3-0 record to match the pace-setting Trenton Lady Bulldogs.

Stephanie Hyatt earned the win for Maysville, pitching 7 innings, allowing six runs on six hits, with five walks and three strikeouts.  Only four of the runs allowed were earned.  Shelby Copeland pitched the first 6 2/3 innings for Polo, giving up eight runs (five earned), with only three hits, two hit batters, one walk, and two strikeouts.  Jenni Farmer and Averie Heil finished up the 7th inning for Polo.

Despite the 7th inning struggles, Polo Head Coach Becky Ross pointed at early issues for her team, noting that the Lady Panthers left nine runners stranded in the game.  Shelby Copeland had a 2 for 3 night with a double and RBI for Polo.  Averie Heil had a pair of RBI’s, with Joely Hicks adding an RBI.

The game, played at Maysville, had an odd feel throughout, as mid-day rainfall in Polo made the Panthers field, scheduled to host the Tuesday night game, unplayable.  The contest was moved to Maysville, with the Wolverines batting, as the visiting team, in the top halves of the seven innings, and Polo batting in the bottom half.

Maysville, now 2-1 overall and in conference play, will travel to Milan on Thursday night to take on the Lady Wildcats in a battle of 2-1 teams chasing unbeaten Putnam County and Trenton atop the standings.  Maysville earned its first victory of the season on August 25th, a 13-3 win over South Harrison, coming just 48 hours after a 17-0 blowout loss to open the season at the hands of Trenton.

Polo, coming into the Maysville game off a 7-4 non-conference win over Stewartsville on Monday night, will host the Putnam County Lady Midgets on Thursday night at 5:30.  Polo travels to Trenton to play the Lady Bulldogs on Tuesday, September 6th at 5:30, in a game to be carried live on Hot Country Z 101.7.  Putnam County stayed unbeaten in conference play on Tuesday night, winning at South Harrison 8-2, as the Lady Midgets kept pace with Trenton in the “zero loss” category, after THS won at Gallatin 3-0.