Fort Recovery catcher Kylie Post applies the tag to Parkway's Bryn Schoenleben during Wednesday's MAC softball game in Rockford.
ROCKFORD - A quick start allowed Parkway to get the lead early and pick up the 9-3 win over Fort Recovery in Midwest Athletic Conference softball play on Wednesday in Rockford.
The win moves Parkway to 15-4 on the season and, more importantly, to 5-1 in the MAC with a big game against conference leader St. Henry on Saturday morning. Fort Recovery drops out of the tie for second with Parkway and Minster to go to 11-7 and 4-2.
The scoring for Parkway got underway in the bottom of the first. Brittyn Bruns led off by reaching on an error. After a ground out and wild pitch moved her to third, Megan Hughes doubled home the first run of the game. Bryn Schoenleben followed with a single. Fort Recovery pitcher Jenna Homan got a strikeout for the second out of the inning, but Cali Bollenbacher singled to left, bringing home two more runs to make it 3-0.
Two more runs came in the second as Emmery Temple doubled home KJae Stover and Bruns to make it 5-0. KJae Stover then drove home her cousin Madelyn Stover and Bollenbacher with a single to right in the third inning.
Meanwhile, Schoenleben was off to a great start in the pitching circle, enticing three straight groundouts to second in the first, and then two back to herself and a strikeout in the second.
"Last couple of weeks we've talked about coming out strong in the first inning and setting the tone," said Parkway coach Trey Stover. "We did that in the top of the first with great pitching and defensive plays at second. Then (we) got on the board right away."
After getting the first out of the third, Schoenleben lost the perfect game, no-hitter and shutout in the third. Paisley Hart reached on an error for the first Indians baserunner. After a sacrifice bunt, Emma Will singled home Hart to make it 5-1. Ava Grisez followed with an RBI single to make it 5-2.
Parkway's KJae Stover makes a catch during Wednesday's game against Fort Recovery.
"The goal this year has been trying to be the first one to score," said Fort Recovery coach Carrie Schoen. "We clearly didn't do that tonight. It is what it is, but we found ways to manufacture some runs."
Fort Recovery added its final run in the fourth as Ella Schoen walked and Alexis Grisez singled. Adria Miller made a nice running catch of a pop-up, but threw wild trying to double up the runner at first, putting runners at second and third. A Post ground out to short made it 7-3.
Parkway got two cushion runs in the fifth and sixth. KJae Stover's fly to center allowed Madelyn Stover to score in the fifth, then Schoenleben singled home Temple in the sixth to wrap up the scoring.
Parkway's Emmery Temple (6) heads to third as Fort Recovery third baseman Ella Schoen fields the ball.
Schoenleben allowed three hits and a walk over the first four innings before Bruns came on to close out the game, with the only Tribe baserunner coming on a walk to Ella Schoen in the sixth.
"Bryn is very steady. Doesn't let anything get to her," said coach Stover. "She had a little command issue in the third but battled through it, and our defense always backs her up.
"(Bruns) has been been the closer after Bryn sets it up for us. We've kept going with it.
While Parkway awaits their matchup at St. Henry on Saturday, Fort Recovery travels to St. Henry tonight for another MAC game. Between the Fort Recovery and Parkway games, St. Henry travels to Versailles for a conference game on Friday.
Due to a conflict with graduation for Preble Shawnee, Fort Recovery's Division VI sectional game with Preble Shawnee has been moved to May 13 at 5 p.m. with the rain date being May 14. The game remains at the LeFevre Family Complex in Fort Recovery.