Spoofhounds keep it close, but fall to Hornets
JON DYKSTRA/DAILY FORUM
Maryville coach Chandra DeMott gives instructions to her team during a between-innings huddle on Tuesday against Chillicothe at Maryville High School. The Spoofhounds lost 8-3.
MARYVILLE, Mo. — The Spoofhounds will have to wait to secure that elusive first MEC victory after falling 8-3 against Chillicothe on Tuesday night in Maryville.
“It is a lot of different things,” Spoofhound coach Chandra DeMott said to explain the struggles. “Right now though, in coaching girls, it is an attitude thing, whether they show up ready to play or not. Their skill level is there. It is about the momentum and attitude they show up with.”
Early on, the game was shaping up to be another pitcher’s duel for the Hounds – something they have seen a lot of recently. Chillicothe carried a narrow 1-0 lead into the third inning.
In the top of the third, the Hornet offense was able to find a way to get a crooked number on the board against Spoofhound sophomore Riley Gray.
A single, followed by back-to-back doubles put up a pair of quick runs to extend the lead to 3-0. Gray buckled down and got the next three batters out to hold the margin there, but once again, the Hounds found themselves in the difficult position of playing from behind.
“We were slow to start and just never really warmed up the way we needed to,” Spoofhound coach Chandra DeMott said. “Tough night tonight.”
Maryville second baseman Summer Swalley had a one out single in the bottom of the third and she came home on a clutch, two-out base hit by freshman shortstop Briley Watkins, which was coupled with an error in center field by the Hornets.
After Swalley scored all the way from first, the Hornet lead was cut to 3-1.
In the fourth inning, the Hornet bats began to time up Gray’s deceptive off-speed delivery and the Hornets came up with two triples and a single in the inning as they increased their margin to 5-1.
Gray found her rhythm again in the fifth, but her defense struggled behind her with back-to-back errors allowing a pair of runners to score. Chillicothe also added a run in the top of the sixth to take a 8-1 lead.
“(Gray) threw the game pretty consistently just like she normally does,” DeMott said. “Our defense has to be there to have her back. It definitely hurt us.”
The Hounds showed fight in the bottom of the sixth.
After freshman first baseman Ashlyn Alexander drove a ball deep to center field which was tracked down for an out, Jacklyn Hersh drove one even farther to right-center and it ricocheted off the right fielder’s glove and the junior left fielder found her way to second base.
“She goes hot and cold for us,” DeMott said of Hersh. “She is definitely a solid hitter and the mechanics are there. She has been seeing a lot of variety lately with changing speeds and different things. She is making that adjustment, no concern there.”
With Hersh on third, sophomore center fielder Jessica Finch drew a walk. Then the pair pulled off a double steal, which scored Hersh and got Finch into scoring position.
A single by freshman Blake Springer scored Finch, but that was all the Hounds got as they fell 8-3.
HOT CORNER CHANGE
Freshman Morgan Wray has stepped in at third base with senior Beth Pederson out and DeMott has been impressed.
“She has played practically every spot on the infield for me in this past year,” DeMott said. “She is a kid that is willing to come in and would run through a brick wall if I asked her to. That is the kind of attitude you want every player to have.”
UP NEXT
The Spoofhounds (4-7; 0-5 MEC) will get another chance at a league win on Thursday when they travel to Smithville.
JON DYKSTRA/DAILY FORUM
Maryville sophomore pitcher Riley Gray throws a pitch on Tuesday against Chillicothe at Maryville High School. The Spoofhounds lost 8-3.
