By JIM WALKER

Tribune Sports Editor

 

COAL GROVE — Rachel Murnahan provided the knockout punch and the South Point Lady Pointers stayed in contention with the other Ohio Valley Conference heavyweights.

Murnahan’s three-run homer put the game away as South Point beat the Coal Grove Lady Hornets 8-3 on Monday to stay one game behind in the league race.

South Point (3-1 OVC) had six hits led by Murnahan who was 2-4 with a home run and four runs batted in. Andi Kleinman was also 2-4.

Deanna Bentley and Kelci Grove each went 2-4 for the Lady Hornets (1-3 OVC).

Coal Grove took a 2-0 lead in the first inning when Kaitlyn Murphy reached on an error and Bentley and Grove singled.

South Point got a run in the second when Abbey Winkler was hit by a pitch, stole second and third and scored on an error.

The Lady Pointers took a 4-2 lead in the third.

Kaitlyn Brown walked, stole second and third and scored on Murnahan’s hit. Brianna Whaley was hit by a pitch, Winkler and Halie Powell reached on errors and Bonnie Hileman singled in a run.

Murnahan then cranked her home run in the fourth after Kleinman singled and Brown was safe on an error.

Hileman walked, stole second and scored when Sarah McCallister reached on an error in the fifth.

Coal Grove got its final run in the seventh on an RBI single by Bentley after Murphy was safe on an error and stole second.

Brown got the win while Grove took the loss.

South Point 013 310 0 = 8 6 4

Coal Grove 200 000 1 = 3 7 5

Kaitlyn Brown and Andi Kleinman. Kelci Grove and Morgan Sites. W-Brown (K-4, BB-1). L-Grove (K-10, BB-2, HBP-2). 2B-CG: MaKayla Truesdell. HR-SP: Rachel Murnahan. Hitting-SP: Andi Kleinman 2-4, Rachel Murnahan 2-4 4-rbi, Bonnie Hileman 1-3 rbi, Halie Powell 1-3 rbi, Sarah McCallister rbi; CG: Kaitlynn Murphy 1-4, Deanna Bentley 2-4 2-rbi, Kelci Grove 2-4, MaKayla Truesdell 1-3.