Mikayla Clark’s big day at the plate for the Cougar softball team paced Grayson County to a 13-5, come-from-behind victory over Butler County Tuesday evening in Morgantown.
Clark went 3-for-4 against Bear starter and loser Kylee Smith, and drove in seven runs. She hit a pair of towering home runs, one of which was a grand slam in the Cougars’ eight-run sixth inning.
The day was a perfect one for offensive firepower, with temperatures in the upper seventies, low humidity, and a steady breeze blowing straight out to center field at the Butler County ballpark. The game produced five home runs, two by the Cougars and three by the Bears. Bear left fielder Aleace Hall hit two dingers and drove in three of the Bear’s runs.
The Bears jumped on top early, scoring one in the first inning, then adding two more in the second on Hall’s two-run homer to straight-away center.
The Cougars tied things in the third inning. Kenzie Renfrow singled leading off, stole second base, moved to third on a ground out, then scored on a ground out by Maddie Duvall. Bailey Snyder followed with a double, then scored ahead of Clark’s first round-tripper.
The Bears went back on top in the third inning when shortstop Autumn Proctor got all of an Embry Thorpe change-up and drove in out of the park for a two-out home run to make it 4-3. Hall added a solo home run in the fourth inning to give the Bears a 5-3 lead.
The Cougars got those runs back with a two-run fifth inning. Renfrow beat out an infield hit leading off, moved to second on a Thorpe ground out, then scored on a Duvall single into right.
Snyder followed with a double to the fence in right-center, putting runners at second and third. Clark then brought Snyder home with a single to right to tie things one last time, 5-5.
The Cougars put the game away in the sixth when they sent 12 batters to the plate and scored eight times. Renfrow had an RBI single in the rally and Clark had two hits in the inning, including her grand slam.
Thorpe went all seven innings for the Cougars, and while she was not as sharp as she had been during her last few outings, she shut down the Bears over the final three innings to earn the win.
Grayson County is now 8-6 on the season, and 4-0 in 12th District play, which will give them the top seed in the district tournament in a couple of weeks.
By Don Brown, Local Sports
Reach Don at donbrown@k105.com
Mikayla Clark hit a pair of home runs for the Cougars,
including this two-run shot in the third inning.
Clark finished the day with seven runs batted in.
Kenzie Renfrow slid home with the tying run in the fifth
inning. Renfrow scored three times in the 13-5 victory.
Embry Thorpe gave up nine hits and five runs, including
three home runs, but shut down the Bears over the final
three innings to earn the win.
