COTTLEVILLE, Mo. — After pitching 14 innings on Friday, Three Rivers' Summer Shockley got her doubleheader off of the season as Three Rivers swept St. Charles on Sunday to also sweep the season series. Macy Rogers and Kari Hatridge more than met the challenge as the Lady Raiders won the opener 9-1 in six innings and the nightcap 6-0 at St. Charles. Hatridge (3-2) allowed seven hits and two walks with a strikeout in the opener for her first complete-game of the season in her fourth start. Rogers struck out 10 in the nightcap and allowed three hits and a walk to get her first complete-game shutout of the season. Hatridge nearly had a shutout as well. Three of the seven hits against her were in the bottom of the sixth inning and St. Charles (5-33, 1-23 Region XVI) was able to push a run across. She faced runners on base in every inning but didn't allow any of them to reach third until the sixth. The start and win is Hatridge's first since April 5. The Lady Raiders (37-12, 18-4) gave her plenty of support with seven runs through two innings, five of them earned. Randi Scruggs, Kristyn Carpenter and Allison Pingel all scored in the first inning. Carpenter had an RBI double to center field and Pingel did the same. With two outs, Sophie Wunderlich singled up the middle to score Pingel from third. In the second, Kabrien Rogers kicked off the inning by reaching on an error and Lindsey Elfrink singled, rolling things over to the top of the lineup and Scruggs, who singled to loaded the bases. Carpenter came through with a two-run line drive to center fi eld before getting caught trying to steal second. With a runner on third, Gracie King added another RBI double and soon scored on Ali Law's single, putting Three Rivers ahead 7-0. With runners on second and third with two outs in the bottom of the sixth, Wunderlich hit a two run single up the middle, just like in the first inning. St. Charles had a runner on second in the bottom frame and needed to score to keep the game going into the seventh, but Hatridge got a grounder to short for the win. The Lady Raider defense didn't get near as much work in the nightcap. Rogers (8-2) walked the opening batter and didn't allow another runner to reach base until the sixth inning. She had two strikeouts in three of the fi rst four innings before her no-hitter was broken up with one out in the bottom of the sixth. St. Charles had two on with one out in the sixth, its most threatening inning in the game, but nobody made it to third as Rogers got a strikeout and a fielder's choice to keep the shutout. She allowed one more single in the seventh, this one to deep center field, and got a popup and one final strikeout for the win. Rogers' 10 strikeouts matches a season high. She also struck out 10 over five innings against Arkansas State. Sunday was also the second time this season she pitched the full seven innings and with her first complete-game shutout, she lowered her ERA to 3.50.
The middle of the Lady Raider lineup — Carpenter, King, Pingel and Law — all finished with two hits. King scored twice and drove in a run while Pingel had two RBIs. Law and Carpenter each scored once. Three Rivers also split with North Central on Monday, losing the opener 8-7 and winning the nightcap 14-5. Complete results from that game were not available at press time. The Lady Raiders are currently holding off region contenders Jefferson and Crowder, which are both 19-5 in the standings. If the teams finish in a three-way tie, Three Rivers would claim the crown via a tiebreaker with both teams. The Lady Raiders have taken 3 of 4 from Crowder and split with Jefferson this season. Three Rivers can avoid any technicalities by earning a sweep today at North Central. The Lady Raiders would fall to third in the region if they suffer a sweep.
Scott Borkgren - Daily American Republic