Softball

Wawasee put the screws to Plymouth very early in Friday’s Northern Lakes Conference softball contest, plating 10 runs in the first inning of a 17-2 rout.

The top of the order primarily did most of the damage, with Ava Rush, Danielle Jenkins, Graceanne Kerlin and Bethany Flannery combining for 13 hits, 11 runs scored and 14 RBIs. Rush had two homers and six driven in, Jenkins had four hits – one a homer – and three RBIs and Kerlin homered and drove in five.

Wawasee in total had 18 hits in the game, seven for extra bases.

That was plenty enough for Kiaundra Olson to get the win, giving up six hits and striking out three in the five-inning complete game.

The JV contest saw Wawasee (9-8) also break double digits in a 12-8 win over the visiting Pilgrims. Casey Drake, Kinzie Hurt and Ciandra Ervin all doubled and totaled five RBIs. Ervin got the pitching win, fanning eight.

Wawasee (8-12, 5-7 NLC) will host Goshen Monday.

Baseball

An unearned run in the eighth inning allowed Plymouth to escape with a 3-2 win over Wawasee in the Marshall County seat.

The Pilgrims kept its faint NLC title hopes alive by seeing Cole Filson reach base in the bottom of the eighth on a dropped third strike. A single and intentional walk loaded the bases, and Thomas Dolan was the hero with a suicide squeeze that brought home Filson for the winner.

Plymouth plated an unearned run in the second and Jackson Lee drove in a run in the fourth to tie the game at two.

Wawasee got its two runs in the first inning. Back-to-back walks to Parker Young and Kam Salazar allowed Jeremiah Bess and Jairus Boyer bring them in, Bess on a single and Boyer on a sacrifice fly.

Wawasee had the go-ahead run on in the eighth, but Plymouth got a fielder’s choice to strand Salazar at third.

Tony Garcia and Carter Woody combined to allow just six hits and one earned run on the night for the Warriors, striking out eight. Filson worked 2.1 innings of relief to get the win, just one hit allowed.

Plymouth moved to 9-3 in the NLC and sit just a game back of NorthWood in the standings, the Panthers 10-2 after beating Memorial. The two will meet next week with possibly a minimum of a share of the championship on the line.

Wawasee got its bats going in a 12-5 win over Plymouth to up its season mark to 13-4 overall.

Wawasee (8-12, 4-8 NLC) will visit Goshen on Monday.