Softball Shuts Down St. Clair 10-0 To Reach Championship

The Lady Eagles (17-14) beat the brakes off of St. Clair (3-14) in the Class 3 District 2 Semifinal on Monday, Oct. 21.

Sullivan’s ten-run home shutout advanced them to the championship. They played Ursuline Academy (5-12) for the title on Monday, Oct. 21. Stats were unavailable at press time.

Head coach Ashley Crump’s main message for her team is to play to “earn another day.” She explained, “We know that we have to earn and work hard inning by [inning], game by game, and as a result, we will get more time to spend it together. It has been such an enjoyable season, and going one more week would really be a perfect ending with this crew.”

If the Lady Eagles win districts, they will play next in the Class 3 Quarterfinal round on Saturday, Oct. 26. Timing and location information were still undetermined at press time.

With their district semifinal win, Sullivan is now on a 29-game winning streak against St. Clair. They have not lost to the Lady Bulldogs since 2002.

St. Clair was close to scoring their first run in six years against Sullivan during the top of the first. The Lady Bulldogs loaded the bases after pitcher Ava Declue struck out two batters. Left fielder Ella Blanton then clutched a fly out to prevent St. Clair from drawing first blood.

Declue continued silencing the Lady Bulldogs while on the mound. She pounded three strikeouts each during the top of the 2nd and 3rd.

Evelynn Harris broke the seal for the Lady Eagles in the bottom of the third. She clutched second base on a wild pitch, then snuck to third on a passed ball. Molly Lohden sacrificed herself on a bunt to drive Harris home for a 1-0 lead.

Sullivan put up two more scores on the board on their following drive. Ella Blanton ripped a grounder, and Rae Corwin punched in the second run. Harris then bunted on the money, cashing Blanton in for a score.

The Lady Eagles continued their momentum in the bottom of the 5th. Carli McCreary blasted a grounder to give Blankenship the chance to score. McCreary then capitalized on an error to take home, and Rae Corwin bunted in E. Crump for a run.

Sullivan gave the Lady Bulldogs the final bite in the sixth inning. Blankenship’s fly ball allowed Lohden and Dorie Richardson to etch their names into the scorebook. Declue drove in two RBIs for the knockout punch to St. Clair. She sent Blankenship and McCreary home and her team to the district championship.

Declue tossed a shutout for the Lady Bulldogs. The senior hurled a career-high 12 strikeouts. She only gave up two hits and two walks.

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