Lady Longhorns thump Lakeside to move to state title round

MONTGOMERY — Marengo Academy (23-6) hung eight runs in the fifth and sixth to help it put away Lakeside 10-1 Saturday afternoon and punch its ticket to the championship round of the AISA Class A softball tournament.

Lakeside scored the first run of the game in the top of the third when Kasey Grant doubled and scored on a Chelsea Jones single.

The Longhorns answered in the bottom half of the inning as Chandler Stenz singled and scored on a RBI infield single by Andrea Edmonds.

Marengo took a lead it would not lose in the fourth when Payton Stokes stroked a solo homer to put the Lady Longhorns up 2-1.

Marengo knocked starting pitcher Jones out of the circle during a three-run rally in the fifth. Stenz scored when Edmonds was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Anna Michael Crocker scored on a Brooke Smyly RBI grounder. Conner Etheridge then scored on a Macey Petrey RBI sacrifice fly.

The Lady Longhorns then poured it on in the sixth with a five-run, two-out rally. Stenz scored on a Crocker RBI single. Mary Jordan Drake came on to courtesy run for Crocker and later scored on an Edmonds RBI single. Etheridge then scored on a Brook Smyly RBI double. Petrey followed with a 2-RBI single to plate Laremey Griffith and Smyly.

Edmonds tossed a complete game, scattering four hits and one walk while striking out seven.

The Lady Longhorns, who beat Ashford to open play Saturday, move to the championship round against Edgewood but will need to win two consecutive games to win its fifth straight state championship.