The Frontenac Raiders flexed their muscles at the plate Thursday during a CNC League doubleheader against rival St. Mary's Colgan at Cheryl Stice Field.
Frontenac scored three in the first, two in the third, three in the fifth, two in the sixth and five in the seventh to win the opener 15-2 and then scored 14 unanswered runs, including eight in the sixth, to secure the sweep with a 14-3 win in six innings during the nightcap.
Senior pitcher Avery Johnson reached a career milestone after her 16-strikeout performance in the opener.
"I am positive everyone had a hit in our lineup from one through nine in the second game," Frontenac coach Cassie Rhuems said. "That's necessary if you want to be a good team. You have to be consistent one through nine, and we're starting to figure that out. It's early for us. We're only six games in and I was really proud of our composure. We were down 3-0 at the end of the first inning on a big swing from Bella Ascanio, and I thought Avery (Johnson) kept her composure so well on the mound and so did our team. We played great defense behind her and were able to rally some hits and move some runners. That was a great thing for us tonight.
"She needed 16 to get 500 (career strikeouts), so it was pretty awesome how it ended, and she had no idea she was even there. She was dealing the first game and moving the ball well. I think she got a little tired in game two, and I thought she continued to compete and showed how strong her mentality is because it's easy to wear down as a pitcher, especially when you're down 3-0 in the first inning and haven't been behind yet. Props to her and props to everybody behind her. Maddie Call did a great job behind the plate for us."
Johnson struck out at least one in all seven innings on her way to 16 Ks in the opener; she struck out the side in the first, fourth and seventh and two in the second, third and fifth innings. She had one strikeout in the sixth.
All nine Colgan batters struck out at least once against Johnson, with seven of the first nine sent down on strikes.
Offensively, Johnson hit a 6-3 RBI groundout, Tenley Sullivan a RBI single and Gracen McLaren an RBI double in the first. Battery mates Johnson and Call hit back-to-back solo homers in the third. Ella Sullivan delivered a two-run single and Skylar Hutchison a RBI single in the fifth. Johnson collected her third RBI on a 4-3 groundout and Tenley Sullivan added an RBI infield single in the sixth. Alana Sullivan's bases-clearing double highlighted the Raiders' five-run seventh.
Ascanio's two-run homer in the sixth extended the game.
During the nightcap, the Raiders played from behind for the first time all season in their sixth game.
Ascanio picked up from where she left off in the first game and hit a three-run blast to start the second game with a boom for the Panthers. Colgan finished the night with eight hits, four in each game.
"It's good for us," Rhuems said. "We need to do that. I thought we stayed very composed, and I thought honestly that our at-bats got better as the night went on. That's what you want to do as a team. I'm glad that we were down. We got to see a good pitcher in Bella; she kept the ball down against us. If you want to be a good team, you have to be able to adjust to things. We did a nice job of that tonight."
Call's RBI single tied it up in the third; the Raiders scored their first two runs with the help of a Colgan error. Call hit a go-ahead RBI single and Hutchison a two-run single in the fifth.
Mady Logiudici hit an inside-the-park home run to start the Raiders' eight-run finale in the sixth; Call's big night continued with a two-run double, Tenley Sullivan and Hutchison each hit RBI doubles and McLaren had an RBI single. Logiudici picked up her second RBI of the inning with a 6-3 groundout and Alana Sullivan's RBI groundout closed out the Raiders' 29-run night.
The Raiders, defending Class 3A state champions, improved to 6-0 on the season and 2-0 in CNC play. They are back on the field Monday for a league doubleheader at home against Riverton.
The Panthers dropped to 5-3 and 1-3 CNC, and they bring a three-game losing streak into Monday's CNC doubleheader against Baxter Springs.
Frontenac 302 032 5 — 15 19 1
Colgan 000 002 0 — 2 4 2
Avery Johnson and Maddie Call; Bella Ascanio and Kylee Kretchmar. W: Johnson. L: Ascanio. 2B—FHS: Gracen McLaren, Alana Sullivan; SMC: Addi Dewey. HR—FHS: Johnson, Call; SMC: Ascanio.
Frontenac 003 038 — 14 17 0
Colgan 300 000 — 3 4 3
Avery Johnson and Maddie Call; Bella Ascanio and Kylee Kretchmar. W: Johnson. L: Ascanio. 2B—FHS: Johnson, Alana Sullivan, Call, Tenley Sullivan, Skylar Hutchison. HR—FHS: Mady Logiudici; SMC: Ascanio.
