QUEEN CITY, Mo. - Schuyler County freshman Clara Dabney delivered a three-hit shutout in her Lewis and Clark Conference debut Thursday, while the Lady Rams broke the game open with a pair of bases-clearing doubles to defeat Knox County 10-0 in five innings.
Schuyler County took the lead in the bottom of the first after Greta Schoonover reached on an error and stole second base. Jalee Snowbarger brought her home with a two-out single into shallow right field, giving the Lady Rams an early 1-0 advantage.
Knox County threatened to answer in the second. Makennah Peavler singled through the right side and stole second before Karly Parrish reached on an error, putting runners at the corners. The Lady Eagles attempted to bring Peavler home during an ensuing rundown, but Schuyler County catcher Halle Roberts applied the tag at the plate to preserve the lead.
That defensive stop was followed by Schuyler County’s first big offensive push of the evening. Trinity Gray and Nicole Poe opened the bottom of the second with consecutive singles, with Poe’s hit scoring Gray. A walk to Jessalyn Herring and an infield single from Roberts kept the inning alive for Schoonover, who drove a bases-loaded double to the center-field fence and cleared the bases. Her three-run hit stretched the Lady Rams’ advantage to 5-0.
Knox County placed two more runners aboard in the third when Adison Strong walked and Melayna Miller singled, but Dabney worked out of the inning without allowing a run.
The Lady Rams then doubled their lead in the bottom half. Dabney led off with a single, Gray walked and Maybelle Lusher was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Poe brought home courtesy runner Emilee Sayre on a fielder’s choice before a bases-loaded walk to Herring made it 7-0.
Maddox Berry supplied the final blow with a drive into the right-center-field gap that cleared the bases. Berry tried to complete an inside-the-park home run but was tagged out at the plate after delivering the three-run double that put Schuyler County ahead 10-0.
Dabney added a double in the fourth inning, but Knox County escaped the bases-loaded threat with an unusual double play following an infield fly. The freshman pitcher then returned to the circle and finished the victory in the fifth. Strong worked a walk and stole second, but Dabney induced a groundout from Miller to close the game.
Dabney surrendered only three hits over five scoreless innings, walked one and struck out three. She also went 2-for-3 at the plate. Schoonover collected two hits and three RBIs, while Berry also drove in three. Poe finished with two hits and two RBIs, and seven of Schuyler County’s nine starters recorded at least one hit.
Miller, Kodie Lay and Peavler accounted for Knox County’s three hits. Lay pitched four innings for the Lady Eagles, allowing 10 runs—nine earned—on 10 hits while striking out one.
“She dealt tonight. She really did,” Schuyler County head coach Tristan Daniels said of Dabney. “She looked good. Catcher behind the plate, Halle Roberts, had it under control tonight.”
Schuyler County improved to 7-5 overall and 1-0 in the Lewis and Clark Conference. Knox County fell to 2-6 overall and 0-3 in conference play. The Lady Rams will host Putnam County next week, while the Lady Eagles travel to the North Shelby Tournament on Saturday.
(This game recap is presented based upon the coverage of the Hometown Radio Sports Network. Any statistics given should be deemed as unofficial.)
