Picture courtesy of Diane Dowell

GAME 1 (3 innings):

ELL-SALINE 17

MARION 1

Ell-Saline Cardinals were looking for their first win of the season after dropping a pair of games to Smoky Valley on Thursday in Lindsborg. The lady Cards opened up Heart of America league play as they welcomed the Marion lady Warriors to Brookville. In game one senior Callee Bradley was in the circle and pitched the first two innings and pitched a gem. Bradley coming off a wrist injury still has use a brace but only gave up two hits and had two strikeouts in her two innings of work

The lady Cards pounced quickly as they scored 12 runs in the bottom of the 1st inning as Marion’s Rylee Thomas struggled from the circle. The Cardinals only had 5 hits in the inning but compiled with 6 walks and 2 errors the Cardinals score early and often.

Ell-Saline continued to score in the 2nd as they added two more runs and took 14-0 lead into the 3rd.

Freshman Aubree Stout came into pitch for Ell-Saline and after a few hit batters the lady Warriors were able to get on the board with a lone run and trailed 14-1.

The Cardinal continued to pile it on as it just took 4 batters to finish the game. Three straight singles for the lady Cards and the left runners at 2nd and 3rd. Senior Eva Anchondo came to plate and hit a 2-RBI single that made the score 17-1 and the game was over.

Junior Emily Porter went 3 for 3 from the plate with 3 singles. She also scored 3 runs and had an RBI.  Porter was named City Plumbing and HVAC Player of the Game. Alanna Hyman was 2 for 2 with 3 runs and 2 RBI’s. Every single Cardinal player that stepped to the plate made it base sometime during the game.

GAME 2 (3 innings):

ELL-SALINE 16

MARION 1

In game 2 Junior Bret Hecker got the nod in the circle and she picked up right where Bradley and Stout left off in game one. She pitched all 3 innings of the ballgame.

The Cardinals used a big 3rd inning as they swept Marion with a 16-1 victory in game 2.

With the sweep Ell-Saline moves to 2-2 0n the season and travel to Hutchinson next Thursday to take on Hutch Trinity.