Mainsource Bank got some strong pitching from Gracie Mika and timely hitting throughout its lineup as the team took the Minor League softball title with a 9-4 win over Optimist Thursday night at Lakeview Park.
Mika pitched the first four innings for Mainsource before being relieved by Kaitlyn Luebbers in the fifth.
Optimist, the regular-season champion, was held scoreless by Mika for three innings, finally scoring three runs in the fourth inning.
By then, Mainsource had jumped out on top 5-0.
In the top of the second, Mainsource scored three runs. Zoey Parker hit a one-out single and went to third on a double by Amanda Jones. Ivyana Rucker singled home Parker. Shelby Smith was hit by a pitch to load the bases, and Iyanei Jackson closed out the scoring with a hit to score Jones and Rucker.
In the top of the fourth, Mainsource tacked on two more runs thanks to a single by Mika, an RBI double from Parker and an RBI single by Rucker.
Optimist battled back with its three fourth-inning runs. Peyton Sutton led off with a single, and Bailee Dowler added a hit. Shiya Marks earned an infield hit, and an error on the play allowed all three base runners to score.
Mainsource put the game away in the final inning with four runs on six hits, a double by Mika and singles from Jackson, Luebbers, Adyson Gatewood, Kristin Tucker and Lauren Crumbaugh.
Optimist’s final run came in the fifth on a hit by Shelby Rhoades, an error and a hit by Madison Kinsella.
Sutton and Dowler pitched for Optimist.
Marks singled twice for Optimist while Sutton, Dowler, Rhoades, Kinsella and Valorie Mobley singled once apiece.
Mika doubled twice and singled for Mainsource. Parker doubled and singled. Rucker and Jackson each singled twice. Jones doubled while Luebbers, Gatewood, Tucker and Crumbaugh added a single apiece.
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