Picture courtesy of Heather Hardesty

The Ell-Saline Cardinal softball team hosted the Sterling Lady Black Bears on Tuesday. Sterling entered the game 7-9 on the season.  Ell-Saline entered 5-11, and were looking to shake things up in the Inman Regional next week.

GAME 1: Sterling 15, Ell-Saline 4

BROOKVILLE: Sterling Senior, Shklar Olsen pitched a 4 hit game and Sterling would use a huge 3rd inning to roll to a victory in game 1.

Sterling would get things started in the 1st inning as they use a walk a couple singles to take a 2-0 lead.

In the 2nd inning the lady Black Bears would get the first 2 base runners on and both would later come around to score and Sterling would lead 4-0.

Sterling would break things wide open in the 3rd inning as the Black Bears would score 5 run on 5 hits in the inning and would take a commanding 9-0 lead,

Ell-Saline would try and scratch their way back into the ballgame as they would plate a runner in the bottom of the 3rd and add 3 runs in the bottom of the 4th but still trailed 9-4.

Sterling was just too much in game 1 though as they would add two runs in each of the final 3 innings and coast to a 15-4 victory.

City Plumbing Heating and Cooling Player of the Game – Riley Johnson (2 for 4, Run)

GAME 2: Ell-Saline 15, Sterling 2

BROOKVILLE: It was a completely different ballgame in game 2 as it was the Cardinals who would race out to a lead a never look back. Sophomore Adyson Surface would take the mound for the Black Bears and Junior Callie Bradley would pitch her second straight game for the Cardinals.

Sterling would pounce right on the Cardinals again in the top of the 1st as Sophomores Blaine Locke and Millie Rincon would both knock in a run and the Black Bears would lead 2-0.

The Cardinals would open up the bottom of the 1st with 3 singles from Taelor Hardesty, Callie Bradley and Riley Johnson. Sophomore Bret Hecker would come t0 plate and drive in 2 runs with a booming double to left field. Ell-Saline would add two more runs in the inning and would take the lead 4-2 after one.

Callie Bradley would pitch a gem in game 2 and she would only allow 7 hits after allowing the 15 runs in game 1.

Sophomore Emily Porter and Senior Taelor Hardesty would lead off the bottom of the 2nd and get on base. Both girls would come around to score and the Cardinals lead 6-2.

Things would break wide open for the Cardinals in the bottom of the 3rd as they were able to score 6 runs in the inning and build a 12-2 lead.

Ell-Saline would add 3 more runs in the bottom of the 4th and would hold Sterling scoreless in the top of the 5th and the game was called at 15-2.

Ell-Saline will finish the season with a 6-12 record and will to face HOA league foe Inman in the first round of regionals next week. Sterling finishes the season 8-10 and will face Ellinwood in Regionals next week.

City Plumbing Heating and Cooling Player of the Game – Bret Hecker (2 for 4, Run, 4 RBI’s) and Taelor Hardesty (3 for 3, 3 Runs, 3 RBI’s)