Lady Warriors Repeat at #204 Invite

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[ Du Quoin (Middle School) repeated as champions of the Pinckneyville (#204) Invitational Saturday afternoon, sweeping to a pair of victories.

The Lady Warriors, 18-2, blanked St. Bruno's/Tamaroa 6-0 and then short-gamed host #204 15-2 in the title game.

Pitchers Cassidy Rice and Emily Asbury combined to allow just one hit while striking out 21 batters in a dozen innings.

"The kids played very well all day Saturday," DMS coach Jason James said. "They came out and played hard and that's what we need."

Rice whiffed 14 and tossed a no-hitter against SB-T and its standout pitcher, Haley Harris.

Du Quoin had just five hits and struck out eight times, but pulled away with timely two-run safeties by Kate Toler and Aubrey Davis.

Kelsey Robinson tripled with Hadley Marek, Carley Hill and Amanda Williams all smacking hits.

Davis and Toler each had two RBI.

"They had a very nice pitcher and we did a good job at the plate against her," James said. "We came up with some timely hits with runners in scoring position."

Rice pitched three more no-hit innings against #204 before Asbury relieved. The duo struck out seven and walked just one.

At the plate, Robinson and Carley Hill each went 3-for3. Robinson homered.

Bri Green and Robinson contributed two hits apiece. Marek, Rebekah Maddox, Williams, Davis, Sydney Heumann and Annie Claire Bastien all hit safely.

Green and Rice had triples.

"We came out swinging the bats in the second game and this is part of the game we need to keep improving on going into regionals," James concluded.

The tournament crown was the second of the fall for DMS, which also won the Marion Invitational in late August. Two other tourney's were rained out.