The Lady Raiders leaned on their ace once again. Summer Shockley pitched seven full innings in both games as Three Rivers swept Mineral Area, winning the opener 10-6 and the nightcap 6-2 at Rains Field. Shockley (22-4) pitched a one-hitter in another dominant performance in the nightcap with four walks and 11 strikeouts. The only thing keeping her from her first collegiate no-hitter was a two-run home run in the second inning. In the opener, starting pitcher Carleigh Burnett gave up a pair of home runs before Three Rivers (34-11) got an out, and Shockley took the circle. She allowed two hits and two walks the rest of the way and struck out 13. Shockley usually starts the opener, but Null opted to switch things up expecting Mineral Area to start its top pitcher in the nightcap, which it did. "She felt good so we rolled with her. We got her some rest today and hope to get her some rest (Sunday) against St. Charles," Null said. "Her mental toughness is kind of what separates her. It is not stuff, which is good, but she just doesn't get rattled in tough situations." With 24 strikeouts over 14 innings in the doubleheader, Shockley jumped from sixth to second place in single-season strikeouts at Three Rivers. She now has 228 strikeouts over 165 innings, or 9.67 per seven innings. She is also in third place in the nation in total strikeouts. She is one of 13 pitchers in the nation to win 20 games so far this season. "To be up there that high in the nation," said Null, who had Shockley as his No. 3 pitcher in September. "I imagined she was going to be pretty good (out of high school), but no idea she was going to develop like she has." It was the most number of innings Shockley has pitched this season, but Null said she didn't fade late. In the middle of the nightcap, Shockley walked a pair of batters to start an inning and Null walked out to the circle. He asked how she felt, and she said she was fine and was just missing her spots. "They never moved another base," Null said. Shockleyn (22-4) previously pitched 13 innings in a doubleheader against Jefferson, has pitched in each of Three Rivers' past 10 games and pitched in relief six times this season. With 165 total innings, Shockley still needs another 20 to crack the top 10 single-season innings pitched list. Seven Lady Raiders have cleared 200 innings in a season and Heather Robey, in 2005, set the record with 248 innings. "To throw the number of innings she has, and the ERA and the strikeouts, it is pretty impressive," Null said. Shockley has been on a tear recently. She hasn't given up more than five hits in any appearance March 24,, regardless of length. It was then that MCC-Maple Woods got 11 hits, a season high against Shockley. But she scattered them enough that Three Rivers still won 6-3. It was the only time this season anybody had double-digit hits against the Van Buren alumna. Her 13 strikeouts against the Cardinals (17-21) in the opener were her second most in a game this season and Friday was the first time she posted double-digit punchouts in both ends of a doubleheader. She has now finished with 10 or more strikeouts in a game 10 times and has never walked more than four batters in any game. Gracie King and Peyton Gunn homered in the nightcap as Three Rivers led 5-2 after three innings. King finished 1 for 2 with two runs and three RBIs. Randi Scruggs was 2 for 3 with two runs and Kirstien Loman had a pair of hits. The Lady Raiders steadily improved their offense in the nightcap, scoring one run in the first inning, then two in the second, three in the third and four in the fourth to pull ahead 10-6. Loman homered along the way and finished 1 for 2 with two runs and three RBIs. Scruggs had another strong game and the leadoff hitter was 3 for 4 with two runs and an RBI while King had two more hits. Scruggs also tripled, putting her two shy of tying the Three Rivers single season and career marks of eight and 12.
Scott Borkgren - Daily American Republic