Ark Valley News - Valley Center drops four league games

Taylor Rowley forces an out at third base against Maize South April 5. The Hornets lost both games of the doubleheader.

Valley Center drops four league games
By Chris Strunk
Last Updated: April 12, 2018

The Valley Center High School softball team is struggling in the league.

The Hornets dropped four straight Ark Valley Chisholm Trail League II contests during the past week.

The latest were 11-4 and 11-1 losses to Ark City on the road April 10.

The Hornets fell to 2-4 (0-4 in the league).

"Obviously, we have lots to do," Valley Center coach Corey Jones said. "You go from the last couple of years of having senior-dominant pitchers to having freshmen who are out there trying their hardest, you know there's going to be some growing pains."

Valley Center won't have much time to grow.

The Hornets will play non-league games at Hutchinson April 12 and will host a non-league doubleheader against Garden City April 13 before getting back into the league with a home doubleheader against Andover Central April 17.

"We're going to have to play perfect defense and we're going to have to score a lot of runs," Jones said.

It was a struggle to do either against Ark City. The Bulldogs blew open a tight first game with a seven-run fourth inning that sent the Hornets reeling.

Valley Center started the game with a run in the first inning off solo home run by Taylor Rowley. Ark City tied the game going into the second.

The Hornets went up by a run in the second when Mallory Feather walked and eventually scored on a passed ball. Ark City answered again with a run in the bottom of the inning.

After a scoreless third inning, Ark City blew open the game with seven runs in the fourth. The Hornets couldn't recover.

Feather scored again in the fifth and Haley Rutschman hit a home run in the sixth.

In the second game, Valley Center fell behind 7-0 after the first inning and couldn't recover. The Hornets' only run was a solo home run by Reagan Fischer in the fourth.

Ark City added two in the fourth and two in the sixth to end the game on a run-rule.

Ashley Thorne and Haley Rutschman had the only other hits for the Hornets.

After giving up seven runs in the opening inning, Caitlin Edwards threw two scoreless innings. Edwards struck out two, but walked seven and gave up eight hits, including two home runs.

It was a rough home opener for the Hornets April 5.

Valley Center lost to Maize South 10-0 and 15-0.

In the first game, Eliza Grady and Thorne had Valley Center's only hits.

Maize South pitcher Carley Sterneker struck out nine and walked two.

Anderson pitched three and two-thirds inning for the Hornets, giving up nine hits and seven runs. Grady gave up three runs over the final three innings.

Maize South carried a 1-0 lead into the fourth inning, when the Mavericks plated six and took control of the game.

It didn't take Maize South long to get things going in the second game. The Mavericks staked a 10-0 lead in the first inning and extended it to 13-0 after two.

Maize South put the game out of reach with a two-run fourth.

Valley struggled against Maize South starter Ashlie Thissen, getting behind early in nearly every count. Thissen struck out two and gave up just one hit, a two-out single to center by Edwards.

Edwards was Valley's starting pitcher. She allowed 10 hits.

Junior varsity — The Hornet JV team improved to 2-1 with a dramatic come-from-behind win over Maize South at home April 5.

Down 9-4 going into the bottom of the fourth, the Hornets rallied to score five runs and tie the game. Maize South was held scoreless in the fifth inning.

Lia Groves hit a double to left to reach base in the fifth and advanced to third on a passed ball. Dakota Phillips hit a grounder to right to score Groves and get the win.

Groves, Phillips, Macy Ostrom and Madaleine Cox had two hits each. Phillips hit a triple. Both of Groves' hits were doubles.

Keara Kieso got the win on the mound, striking out two and walking three.

Ark City 11, Valley Center 4

VC 101 011 0 — 4 6 1

AC 101 702 x — 11 18 0

W — Westhoff. L — Anderson. 2B — VC: Rowley; AC: Westhoff (2), Sartin, Boone (2). HR — VC: Rowley, Rutschman.

Ark City 11, Valley Center 1

VC 000 100 x — 1 3 3

AC 700 202 x — 11 8 1

W — Colquhoun. L — Edwards. 2B — AC: Legleiter. 3B — AC: Boone. HR — VC: Fischer; AC: Daniel, Sartin.

Maize South 10, Valley Center 0

MS 100 601 2 — 10 12 0

VC 000 000 0 — 0 2 2

W — Sterneker. L — Anderson. 2B — MS: Kerr. HR — MS: Sterneker.

Maize South 15, Valley Center 0

MS (10)30 2xx x — 15 11 1

VC 000 0xx x — 0 1 2

W — Thissen. L — Edwards. 2B — MS: Bette, Johnson, Kerr, Yocum.