Extra bases
By KYLE WILSON
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kwilson@crestonnews.com
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| CNA photo KYLE WILSON
Creston’s Maddie Haines connects with a pitch thrown by Wayne’s Cassandra Darrah in the Mount Ayr Classic Wednesday. At designated hitter, Haines went 1-for-2 with a triple as Creston defeated Wayne 3-0. |
MOUNT AYR — Nobody wants to jinx her, but Creston freshman Katlin Briley is swinging a molten hot aluminum bat right now. In her last 21 plate appearances, the lead off hitter, who was named to the all conference team as an eighth grader, has recorded 17 hits. That’s a stunning, .809 batting average over the last six games.
Three of those hits came Wednesday against hard throwing right-hander Cassandra Darrah. Darrah, who has received looks by several Division I programs, including the University of Wisconsin, stands over 6 foot. And currently, she’s in the top five in the state in strikeouts.
But Darrah was no match for Briley, who is under 5-6 and less than 100 pounds.
Briley smoked a double to the fence in the first inning, added an RBI single in the third and another single in the fifth, finishing the game 3-for-3 with two stolen bases in a 3-0 victory over Wayne in the opening game of the Mount Ayr Classic.
“She’s in a good groove,” Creston coach Mike McCabe said. “Sometimes as a hitter, the ball is big. Streaks come and go. She’s hitting the ball well right now. She has been really good for us at the top of the order.”
Game breakdown
Briley doubled to the left center fence in the bottom of the first. Carla Smith, who has been unselfish often this year in the two spot, sacrificed Briley to second and Aubrey Pendegraft hit a slow ground ball to the left side to score Briley, giving Creston a 1-0 advantage.
Maddie Haines, slated as the designated hitter, led off the third inning. The freshman launched a liner into the gap in right center, and scooted around the bases for a triple off Darrah. Two batters later, Briley rapped an RBI single, giving Creston a 2-0 lead.
“Cassandra had a lot of movement, especially to the right handed batters,” Creston’s Madison Frain said. “We have seen a couple of pitchers like her, so we were comfortable. Maddie came up with a big hit (in the third inning). She put a good swing on that pitch.”
Briley later scored in the inning, as Pendegraft drove her in on a bouncing ground ball through the left side. Creston tallied five hits in the game, three from Briley, one from Pendegraft and another from Haines.
Frain was her usual self in the circle, changing speeds and hitting corners. She went seven innings, striking out three, walking two and allowing just three hits. Darrah went six innings, struck out 11, walked none and allowed five hits.
Murray
Creston’s offensive production continued in the second game of the Classic, defeating Murray 12-0 in three innings. Frain struck out six of the nine batters she faced. Creston had three multiple hitters, including Pendegraft at 3-for-3 with a home run and four RBI’s, Briley at 2-for-3, Frain at 2-for-3 and Johnson at 2-for-2.
Creston (24-3, 10-2) return to play tonight, facing Atlantic in a double header beginning at 5:30 p.m.
“We’re back in the conference wars tonight, against an improving Atlantic team,” McCabe said. “They are playing pretty good softball right now. They defeated Clarinda 12-0 and lost a 2-1 game to LC. We’ll need to be ready.”
