By JIM WALKER

Tribune Sports Editor

 

BIDWELL — Chelsea Harper performed the cycle and it left River Valley spinning.

Harper went 4-for-5 as she hit for the cycle to lead the Rock Hill Redwomen to a 17-0 five-inning spanking of the River Valley Lady Raiders on Monday in the Ohio Valley Conference opener.

Harper keyed an offense that cranked out 17 hits as Rock Hill improved to 3-2 and 1-0.

Sami Nixon went three innings for the win. She struck out six, walked none and gave up one hit. Morgan Schug fanned three in two innings of work without a walk and allowed two hits.

“We hit well today. But we pitched well and fielded well, too. It’s starting to come together,” said Rock Hill coach Mary Jane Harper.

Brooke Hanshaw and Kenzie Martin each went 3-3 for Rock Hill with Martin adding a double. Brooke Eastham was 2-4 and Morgan Damron went 2-5.

Rock Hill used four hits and a wild pitch to take a 3-0 lead in the first inning. Harper’s two-run homer in the second inning led to four runs and a 7-0 lead.

After scoring two more runs in the third, Rock Hill erupted for seven runs in the fourth inning and it was 16-0.

Harper had a triple and a double to highlight the uprising. Hanshaw, Schug and Martin all singled in a run, Brooke Eastham also drove in a run with a ground out and an error scored a run.

The Redwomen play at Zane Trace on Tuesday.

Rock Hill 342 71 = 17 17 1

River Valley 000 00 = 0 3 4

Sami Nixon, Morgan Schug (4) and Brooke Eastham. Mershon, Cheesbrew (4), Mershon (5) and Leach. W-Nixon (K-6,BB-0, H-1). Schug K-3, BB-0, H-2. L-Mershon. 2B-RH: Chelsea Harper; RV: Mershon. 3B-RH: Chelsea Harper. HR-RH: Chelsea Harper. Hitting-Rock Hill: Morgan Damron 2-5, BreeAnna Depriest 1-4, Chelsea Harper 4-5, Brooke Hanshaw 3-3, Morgan Schug 1-4, Kenzie Martin 3-3, Kaelynn Ellis 1-2, Brooke Eastham 2-4; River Valley: Mershon 2-2, Layne 1-2.

 

Coal Grove 9,

Chesapeake 8

COAL GROVE — The Coal Grove Lady Hornets giveth and they taketh away.

The Lady Hornets blew an 8-3 lead in the seventh inning, but rallied for a run in the bottom of the inning to beat the Chesapeake Lady Panthers 9-8 on Monday in their Ohio Valley Conference opener.

After Chesapeake tied the game, Makayla Truesdell singled home Morgan Sites in the bottom of the seventh to give Coal Grove the win.

Kelsey Grove got the win as she struck out six, walked five and gave up 10 hits.

The Lady Hornets had five hits with Kaitlynn Murphy going 1-3 with a double, Leah Crum 1-3, Shelby Haynes 1-4, Emily Bowman 1-1 with two walks and Truesday 1-3. The Lady Hornets also walked 10 times.

For Chesapeake, Sarah Rice was 2-4 with two doubles, Anna Mayo 1-3 and a double, Caitlyn Heffner 1-2 with two walks, Jordan Porter 2-4 including a triple, Macy Allen 2-3 with a double and Breanna Skeens 1-3.