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Kaylee Burnett stretches for a force out at first base against Hutchinson April 13. Valley Center beat Hutch 16-1.

Hornet comeback falls short at Central
By Chris Strunk
Last Updated: April 20, 2017

The Valley Center High School softball team suffered its first loss of the season this week, clawing back from a five-run deficit but falling to Andover Central in the second game of a double-header on the road April 18.

The Hornets are 9-1 (5-1 in the Ark Valley Chisholm Trail League II).

"Their attitude, how we came back and didn't give up, I think we left with a little momentum that could carry into Friday's games (April 21 at Andover)," Valley coach Corey Jones said.

After beating Andover Central in the first game, 7-5, Valley Center found itself down 5-0 going into the seventh inning of the second game.

With one out, the Hornets strung together five hits to climb to within a single run and put the go-ahead run on base.

Wylie Glover hit an RBI double. Taylor Rowley doubled to score two runs.

Ashley Thorne scored Rowley with a single. Reagan Fischer singled to right, moving the tying run to second base.

Kaylee Burnett flied out to center for the second out, and Ashlyn Jacobs flied out to left to end the game.

"They made some great plays in the outfield to take away doubles and triples and they made some diving catches," Jones said of the Andover Central defense. "We hit the ball all night, we really did. We blew our chances to kind of get back in it."

In the opening game, Andover Central took a 4-1 lead after three innings, but Valley Center came back in the fourth and added runs in the fifth and seventh for the victory.

In the fourth inning, Fischer got on base with a single and Burnett hit a homer over the right field fence.

Emma Meyer was hit by a pitch and Allie Burke moved her to second with a ground ball single.

LaTaylah Perez then doubled to center, scoring Meyer and Burke to take a 5-4 lead.

Meyer hit an RBI single in the fifth.

Andover Central inched closer in the bottom of the fifth, but Jacobs forced a pop fly to Glover to end the threat.

Perez and Rowley turned a double play to end a sixth-inning threat.

Perez singled in the seventh for an RBI.

Fischer had four hits in the two games.

"She's doing some good things, and it's fun to watch that," Jones said.

Valley Center got six innings of work in two non-league games April 13 at Two Rivers Youth Club.

The Hornets dismantled Hutchinson, 16-1, and destroyed Wichita East, 22-0. Each game was stopped in the third inning on the mercy rule.

Valley Center had no mercy for either squad.

After Hutchinson scored a run to start the game, Valley went ahead with a two-run first. The Hornets added six in the second and eight in the third to stop the game.

Thorne's two hits were for extra bases, including a two-run home run in the second inning.

Fischer and Glover also hit home runs. Fischer's was a walk-off in the third.

Valley Center had 11 hits.

Jacobs got the win. She gave up three hits and two walks while striking out four.

Glover and Burnett combined for a one-hit shutout against Wichita East.

Valley Center scored six runs in the first inning and ignited the second with 14 runs.

Glover got the win. She preserved the shutout by forcing two short fly balls with bases loaded in the third inning.

The Hornet hitters were on fire. Thorne recorded four hits, including a double and a home run. Fischer and Glover also went yard.

Burke, Perez, Rowley and Fischer had three hits each.

Valley Center played error-free defense, too.

Up next, Valley Center will face Andover on the road April 21 before playing non-league contests at Campus April 25.

"In our league, there are no off days like we had the other night (against Hutchinson and East)," Jones said. "… I'm real happy with where we are. We'll see what happens with our next two games."

Junior varsity — The junior varsity squad took the lead late in the game in a 2-1 victory over Hutchinson April 13. The game was tied at 1-1 with Valley Center batting in the top of the fourth when Lia Groves hit a double, driving in the winning run. The pitching was strong on both sides. Eliza Grady struck out 11, while Hutchinson sat down four. Kait McDonald, Abbigail Wolf, and Groves each managed one hit to lead the Hornets.

Valley Center defeated Wichita East 13-3 as McDonald and Grady teamed up to throw a no-hitter. An early lead helped propel Valley to victory with Wolf hitting a double and Sara Scheibmier hitting a triple in the first inning. McDonald went 2-for-3 at the plate as she led the team with three runs batted in.

Valley Center dropped both games against Andover Central, 11-10 and 14-12, on April 18.

The Hornets are 5-5.

Valley Center 16,

Hutchinson 1

Hutch 100 xxx x — 1 3 2

VC 268 xxx x — 16 11 1

W — Jacobs. L — Steadman. 2B — VC: Thorne; H: Krol. HR — VC: Thorne, Fischer, Glover.

Valley Center 22, East 0

VC 6(14)2 xxx x — 22 21 0

East 000 xxx x — 0 1 4

W — Glover. 2B — VC: Thorne, Burnett, Glover. 3B — VC: Thorne. HR — VC: Fischer, Rowley(2), Jacobs.

Valley Center 7,

Andover Central 5

VC 100 410 1 — 7 14 3

AC 103 010 0 — 5 5 1

W — Jacobs. L — Orlowski. 2B — VC: Perez, Jacobs; AC: Orlowski. HR — VC: Burnett.

Andover Central 5,

Valley Center 4

VC 000 000 4 — 4 10 1

AC 230 000 x — 5 7 0

W — Orlowski. L — Burnett. 2B — VC: Fischer, Rowley, Glover; AC: Maddox.






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