Coal City – Ken Adkins’ young Independence team has taken its lumps against the state’s top competition in hopes it will prepare them for the postseason.
Down two starters due to illness, the Patriots chalked up what they hope becomes a positive learning experience.
Nitro all-stater Lena Elkins struck out 12 and yielded just one hit, stifling Indy’s bat in a six-inning 8-0 win Thursday in Coal City.
Needing to lean on its own ace and all-stater in Delaney Buckland to help weather the losses of Sarah Bragg and Alli Hypes in the field – both of whom were absent due to illness – Independence (8-5) struggled to provide her with the support she needed from the jump, committing an error two batters in that allowed a runner to score from first and another to reach third.
Buckland faced her own struggles though, allowing the runner at third, Aris Miller, to score on a wild pitch, putting the visitors ahead 2-0.
“We try to take advantage of any play that we can and any run that we can while we’re on the bases,” Nitro head coach and 2019 State Player of the Year Caiti Mathes said. “The girls like to be super aggressive on the bases and I like it. They take advantage of it when they can.”
The Wildcats’ aggressive approach as well as Indy’s youth made for a frustrating combination for Adkins.
He saw his team commit three more errors in the third inning after it looked like they had settled down. A walk to Carley Mathes with one out bit Buckland when the standout shortstop scored after Elkins singled to center and the ball was mishandled.
The error that plated Mathes allowed Elkins to advance to third and score on a sac fly from C.C. Larkey.
“I told the kids after the game we’ve got Chloe Hart, who’s a senior, and the kids,” Adkins said. “I was freshman, freshman, freshman. My shortstop had never played a game this year at shortstop, my second baseman is playing her second or third game there and my third baseman had not played a game there. I’ve got Sarah Bragg- my catcher – out. Alli Hypes my shortstop is out and I’m missing two or three other reserve players. But I told the kids no excuses.”
For all of the warts that put the hosts in a 4-0 hole after three innings, they had their chance to tie the game in the bottom of the fourth. A single to left from Buckland, Indy’s only hit of the night, was followed by an error at short on an attempted double play. Savannah Stanley added to the intrigue, drawing a walk from Elkins, loading the bases with no outs.
But Elkins was as good as advertised when it mattered most.
A pair of strikeouts and a soft groundout meant a promising inning ended in disappointment for the hosts with the tying run thrice walking back to the dugout empty handed.
“Lena’s been strong throughout our whole season so far,” Mathes said. “I think she’s had double-digit strikeouts in every game. We rally behind her and we know she’s going to do her job in the circle and when she does have an off day we’ve got to take care of it at the plate.”
“We had the bases loaded in that inning and we had two seniors – we have to take advantage of what they give us,” Adkins said. “I don’t think there’s anything we needed to be intimidated by. Delaney didn’t have a particularly good day today. Some of her stuff wasn’t working, and I know she wanted to have big day against Lena, but you don’t always have that so you’ve got to make the best of what you got. We’re still not hitting the ball …. They’re probably the best team in double-A right now though.”
A home run from Sydney Cawley in fifth and a pair of hits from Carley Mathes and Chloe Beckner accounted for the final four runs of the game.
Indy never threatened again.
“I’m glad we had this,” Adkins said. “If we reach our goal of the state tournament, we’ll see them again so that’s what we’ll go with.”
Email: tylerjackson@lootpress.com and follow on Twitter @tjack94.
