QUEEN CITY, Mo. - Schuyler County stayed within striking distance throughout Thursday’s Lewis and Clark Conference matchup, but Paris pitcher Ava Crane never allowed the Lady Rams to find the timely hit they needed in a 3-0 Lady Coyotes victory.
Crane scattered five hits across seven scoreless innings, walked one and struck out five to earn the complete-game shutout. Schuyler County put at least one runner into scoring position in four different innings, including the seventh, but stranded six runners in the loss.
Paris grabbed the lead before the Lady Rams came to the plate. Sylvee Graupman opened the game with a double and advanced to third on a Schuyler County error. Ella Totten followed with a groundout to third, allowing Graupman to score the game’s first run.
Schuyler County threatened to answer immediately when Maddox Berry drove a one-out double into the right-center-field gap. Greta Schoonover lifted a fly ball deep enough for Berry to tag and advance to third, but Katie Cummins snagged Jalee Snowbarger’s hard line drive at shortstop to end the inning.
The Lady Rams produced another scoring opportunity in the second. Clara Dabney drew a leadoff walk, and courtesy runner Nicole Poe stole second before Maddison Severns reached on an infield single. Piper Byrn moved both runners into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt, but Crane escaped the inning without surrendering a run.
Schuyler County pitcher Maddison Severns kept Paris quiet through the next two frames, aided by Dabney throwing out Lily Wheaton on an attempted steal in the second. Severns and the Lady Rams’ defense held the deficit at one until Paris created its decisive rally in the fourth.
Crane led off the inning with a single, and courtesy runner Savanah Taylor came around to score when Cummins ripped an RBI triple down the first-base line. Gretchen Crusha followed with a groundout that brought Cummins home and extended the Lady Coyotes’ advantage to 3-0.
Raygen Crum and Adelynn Thomas added consecutive two-out singles later in the inning, but Severns prevented any further damage by inducing a groundout from Layla Riechmann.
Paris finished with 10 hits, although Severns worked around traffic effectively for much of the evening. She completed all seven innings, allowed three earned runs and did not issue a walk while striking out four.
The Lady Rams’ defense also helped Severns settle into the game. After Paris opened the fifth with a hit, Schuyler County retired the next three batters in order. Severns later struck out two in the sixth to keep the deficit at three.
Schuyler County mounted another threat in the bottom of the sixth when Schoonover singled and reached second on an error. Crane responded by striking out Snowbarger and retiring Dabney on a groundout to preserve the shutout.
Maybelle Lusher gave the Lady Rams one final opportunity by drilling a leadoff double to the fence in the seventh. Crane answered with consecutive strikeouts of Severns and pinch hitter Trinity Gray before Jessalyn Herring grounded out to second to finish the game.
Berry and Lusher each doubled for Schuyler County, while Schoonover, Severns and Herring supplied the Lady Rams’ other three hits. Cummins led Paris at the plate by going 2-for-3 with a triple, one RBI and a run scored. Graupman also collected two hits and scored once.
Paris improved to 9-8 overall and 2-2 in Lewis and Clark Conference play. Schuyler County fell to 7-8 overall and 1-2 in the conference.
The Lady Rams will travel to North Shelby on Monday before returning home to face Scotland County on Tuesday. Both games will be carried by the Hometown Radio Sports Network.
(This game recap is presented based upon the coverage of the Hometown Radio Sports Network. Any statistics given should be deemed as unofficial.)
