Double mercy rules win over Chase Co.

    Holyoke High School softball swept its first home outing Tuesday, Aug. 28, winning both games of the doubleheader against Chase County, Nebraska, by mercy rule, 17-2 and 20-10.
    Dragon fielding kept the Chase County batters under control, while explosive performances by younger players helped secure a strong start to both games.
    Coach Sherman Kage said the game was an example of how the team has improved in both its batting and fielding abilities.
    “We played really well; our pitching was there, and it was really nice to have our offense clicked-in and on-point,” he said. “I was really just very impressed and proud of our performance.”
    
Holyoke 17, Chase County 2
    In the first game of the evening, Holyoke leveraged an 11-0 lead to end the game three innings early and up by 15 runs.
    Holyoke fielding kept the team high and dry, shutting their opponents out of the first two innings. At the same time, a barrage of Holyoke doubles, triples and a second-inning homer by Correy Koellner kept batters moving around the bases.
    Chase County responded with runs in the tops of the third and fourth innings but was unable to control its infield. Holyoke runners stole home four times in the third inning alone.
    The game was stopped prior to the fifth inning, after the Dragons scored on a passed ball and an error by Chase County.
    All Holyoke batters got base hits. Koellner hit a home run and a triple; Haley Mavis, a triple and two doubles; Molly Brown, a triple; Lauren Herman and Shianne Willmon, a double and two singles; Sirissa Casady and Lali Marquez, a double; and Lauren Bergner, Gabi Gordon and Victoria Race, a single.
    Koellner led RBIs with three.
    Marquez stole four bases; Race, three; and Brown, Gordon, Herman, Schneider and Willmon, two.
    Haley Van Overbeke pitched the game, facing 18 batters. She struck out five, walked three and gave up one earned run on three hits.

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