Wildcats fall in sectional semi-finals

Mount Vernon third baseman Lacey Allyn scoops up this grounder during sectional softball action this week. The Wildcats fought hard but could not overcome Memorial. Photo by Garry Beeson

By Dave Pearce

The Mount Vernon Wildcats may or may not have been the best team in the Evansville Memorial Sectional. If you go sheerly by record, the Wildcats were head and shoulders above anyone else in the group. But as is often said, anything can happen on a given day...and it did.

A walk-off left the Mt. Vernon Wildcats on the wrong end of a 2-1 loss to Evansville Memorial on Friday at Braun Stadium on the campus of the University of Evansville. The game was tied at one in the bottom of the seventh when Madison Thomas singled, scoring one run.

The pitching was strong on both sides. Memorial Tiger pitchers struck out 16, while Alaina Allyn the Wildcats sat down 13.

A double by Mallory Rhodes put Mt. Vernon on the board in the top of the third.

Thomas doubled to center field on an 0-2 count, which helped Memorial tie the game at one in the bottom of the fifth.

Bri Canaan earned the win for Memorial. The hurler surrendered two hits and one run over seven innings, striking out 16 and walking one. Alaina Allyn took the loss for Mt. Vernon. The right-handed pitcher went six and two-thirds innings, surrendering two runs on four hits, striking out 13 and walking three.

Allyn and Rhodes were a force together in the lineup, as they each collected one hit for Mt. Vernon while hitting back-to-back. Rhodes led Mt. Vernon with one run batted in. The infielder went 1-for-3 on the day.

Thomas led the Tigers with two runs batted in. The left-handed hitter went 2-for-4 on the day.

The Wildcats completed a successful season, finishing 15-7 while going 7-5 in an extremely toough Pocket Athletic Conference.