Dragons Softball

Shanks Powers Dragons

Two teams that are in a tight race for the MEC championship meet on the Cameron Lady Dragons home field Tuesday afternoon, September 5, and the home team came up with a big 5-4 win. Chillicothe got on the scoreboard first when they came up with a run in the top of the second when McKenna Poling lead off the inning with a triple to right and scored on a Dragon error. The Lady Hornets added another run in the 3^rd inning when, with two outs in the inning, Harlie Jones walked and scored on a Molly Jones triple, giving the Hornets a 2-0 lead. The host team came up with three runs in the bottom of the 3^rd when Karlie Shanks lead off with a single to center. One out later Madison Goble singled before Arli Smith laid down a beautifully placed bunt down the third base line to load the bases.  After a line drive out to third, Shanks scored on an error by the Hornets, before Brittany Seitz singled to left scoring Goble and Smith to put the home team up 3-2.

Neither team was able to do much until the 6^th when the Lady Dragons added two more runs when Mariah Rogers reach on an error and one out later Shanks homered to centerfield and the Dragons took a 5- 2 lead into the top of the 7^th. The visiting Lady Hornets made it interesting as Laney Gatson leadoff the inning with a home run to center, she was follow by a Liddy Adkins single and a double by H. Jones before Rogers, the winning pitcher was able retire the last three batters on two pop ups and a line drive out. The win gives the Dragons a 6-4 record on the season, but moves their conference record to 3-1. Goble and Shanks lead the Dragons in hitting with 2 each, Rogers picked up the win pitching a complete game giving up seven hits in seven innings.  

Lady Dragons Lose

The Cameron Lady Dragons took on the Smithville Lady Warriors at home Thursday night, September 7, in a game that could go a long way toward determining the MEC Champion. Unfortunately, the Lady Dragons could not hold on to an early lead and ended losing 13- 7. The Dragons out hit the Warriors recording 12 hits to the visitors nine, but the Warriors got 13 runners on base due to walks, and that ended up determining the outcome.

The Dragons stuck first in the bottom of the 1^st inning when Madison Goble single to left, Arli Smith reached on an error and Sydney Nicholas doubled to center, scoring Goble and advancing Smith to 3^rd. Makayla Lee followed with a single to left, scoring Smith and moving Nichols to 3^rd. One out later Karlie Shanks Doubled to left scoring Lee and Nichols. Smithville was able to get out of the inning getting recording a strikeout and a Popfly around an Austin Colsgrove walk. Cameron added another run in the 2^nd ining when Nichols blasted a solo homer to dead center giving the host team a 5-0 lead.

 Smithville got on the scoreboard in the top of the 3^rd scoring three runs on two singles, two walks, and a hit batter. The Lady warriors took a 7-5 lead in the top of 4^th inning, getting four runs on four walks, a double, an error on Cameron and a single. The Lady Dragons came right back to tie the game at seven in the bottom of the 4^th when Natalie Schaeffer led off with a single to left, Kaitlyn Smith pitch running for Schaeffer scored on a triple to right center by Goble. A. Smith reached on a bunt single before Nichols continued her hot inning with a single to left. Makaia Lee singled to load the bases, but Smithville was able to record the last two outs of the inning picking off two Cameron base runners. The Dragons would only get one more base runner over the next three innings as the lady Warriors added two in the 5^th inning, a single run in the 6^th and three insurance runs in the 7^th. Leading hitters for the Dragons were Nichols, Goble, and Lee who all went three for four on the night. Moriah Rogers took the loss for the home team pitching 6 and 2/3 innings. The loss drops the Cameron record to 6-5 on the season and puts them in a tough stop in the conference race dropping to 3-2.

Lexington Tournament

The Cameron Lady Dragon Softball team played in the Lexington Tournament on Saturday, September 9, finishing the day with a 1-3 record. The Dragons lost the first game of the day to Lawson 11-10, lost to Lexington 4-3, rebounded to beat Notre Dame of Kansas City 16-8, and dropped the final to Odessa 9-5.

Cameron out hit the Lady Cardinals 13- 9 in the first  game as Sydney Nichols went 3-4 from the plate. Lawson won the game scoring three runs in the bottom of the 5^th inning on a Walker three run homer. The Lexington game was the second one run loss of the day for the Lady Dragons. Cameron took a two run lead in the first, but could only tally one more in the 7^th. Lexington scored one in the first, one in the 2^nd , one in the fourth, and one in the sixth to complete the game 4-3. Madison Goble went three for three from the plate and scored two runs to lead the Lady Dragons. In the win over Notre Dame, Goble again lead the hit parade as she went four for four with a double and three singles. The Lady Dragons scored three in the 1^st, three in the 2^nd, four in the 3^rd and had a big six run 5^th inning to wrap up the game.

In the last game of the day, Cameron lost a back and forth affair with Odessa. The Lady Dragons were down 2- 1 after the first inning before coming back to score four runs in the top of the 3^rd to take the lead, Odessa put the game away with a big seven run 4^th inning to make the final 9-5 score. Cameron was lead at the plate - with Nichols, Makayla Lee, and Moriah Rogers with two hits each, Brittany Seitz added a homer and two RBI’s.

The Lady Dragons continued action this week with a home game vs Summit Christian Academy on Monday, traveled to Mid Buchanan on Tuesday and are back home on Thursday with a MEC game against St. Joseph Lafayette.